The Disciple
by Jellylegs1
Summary: how can i put this? girl-mutant-army-adamantium&i-suck-at-summaries-lol. heh
1. The Power Emerges

A girl with light brown hair and chocolate brown eyes watched as the storm raged outside her classroom. How she wished she could be in it, dancing in the rain.  
  
But instead she was stuck learning boring trigonometry.  
  
As she yawned she was drawn by the teacher's nasal voice. "Lorelei, Lorelei, please pay attention!"  
  
Lori, as her friends liked to call her, rolled her eyes and sat up straight to hear the rest of Mrs. Connors lecture of paying attention. When it was done, Mrs. Connor said, "Is that clear, Lorelei?" "Yes miss," was Lori's monotone reply. The math's teacher went back to the trigonometry.  
  
Lori felt something in the back of her mind and turned to stare intently at a tall gum tree outside her window. A sudden CRACK! filled the air as lightning struck the tree's tallest branch, causing it to fall and crash a car in the teachers parking lot. As the rest of the students swarmed around the windows to get a better look at what happened, Lori's best friend, Christy, looked at her in concern.  
  
"Lori, are you alright. You must have burnt your vision out or something, because you were staring right at it!" she said, starting to panic. "Hey, it's ok, I'm fine." Lori smiled at herself. "In fact, I feel better than fine. I feel... charged up." Christy started to feel uneasy. "Well, we should get you down to the nurse so she can check out your eyes anyway. Just in case there's a delayed reaction." Knowing her best friend wouldn't give up unless Lori submitted to her examination she wearily got up as Christy cleared it with Mrs. Connor.  
  
"Miss," Christy said. "Can I have permission to take Lori down to the nurse? She was looking right at the tree when the bolt hit it." Mrs. Connor nodded her approval absent mindedly as she tried desperately to get her all girls' math's class to remain calm as the storm raged still.  
  
Taking Lori's hand firmly in hers, Christy marched her down to the nurse.  
  
"Miss Bradleys, I have a patient for you." She called as she walked casually in. The young disorganized nurse popped her head around the corner.  
  
"Ahh," she said smiling. "Christy, what's Lori gotten herself into this time?" Lori blinked. How did this woman, who she didn't even know, know her name? Then she remembered. Christy and Miss Bradleys knew each other, as the elder was friend with Christy's family.  
  
"This silly idiot here was looking directly at a tree when a lightning bolt hit it. I think she might have done something to her eyes, but she says she's fine." Christy said rolling her eyes.  
  
"Well, even if you say you're fine, we'd better check you out anyway." Miss Bradleys said to Lori. Clearing a space on the bench, she patted it, indicating that Lori should go sit down. Letting out a sigh of exasperation, she did as she was told and subjected to the examination.  
  
"Amazing," Miss Bradleys said when she was done. "Logically, the retina's in your eyes should be burnt out by looking at something as bright as lightning so closely, but your seem to be perfect. Better than a normal persons, in fact."  
  
Lori looked at the nurse suspiciously. "What do you mean, 'normal person?'"  
  
The nurse looked at her gravely. "I think you know what I mean, Lori. You're a mutant."  
  
(Dun, Dun, Dunnnnnnnn. Heh. My wannabe cliffhanger. Not all that cliff-y. No jagged big rocks or sharp sticks at the end of it. ( sigh oh well. I guess I'll have to survive with this hill-y thing I've got going now. Lol.) 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Dudes, as IF I own any of these characters. Except Lori. She's all mine. And Lori's dad, stupid bum, and basically anything to do with Lori's past life before the X-men. I own that. Except Sydney. I don't own that. That's a BIG place, I don't think I could afford that. Lol.  
  
A/N: first of all Lori's power is NOT to be able to look at bright things without getting hurt. All those ppl that sent me reviews that flamed it and said that's a stupid power, use your mind you dolts!!  
  
Think about what bright light does to retinas when its THAT close. It burns them. Think before you flame me next time people. Her eyesight should've been completely burned, but it wasn't. How? You ask, read and find out.  
  
Oh, by the way, thank you Starr2 for you NICE review, everyone else flamed me. Lol. ***  
  
Lori gasped in shock.  
  
"What- you mean..." she looked blankly ahead for a few moments, then turned back to the nurse. "You're serious, aren't you?"  
  
The woman nodded sympathetically. "It's not all that bad. I mean, now there are treatments that the army offers to help get rid of mutations. Some of the experiments can be quite extreme, but I'm sure it's worth it in the-,"  
  
Lori cut her off. "What do you mean, 'treatments?'" she asked. "There isn't anything wrong with me." The nurse was still nodding, trying to pretend that she knew what Lori was going through.  
  
"I thought you might feel that way, but trust me, there is something wrong with you and the rest of your kind. You shouldn't have that sort of curse. There are ways that that curse can be lifted, if you just give the army a chance..." when the woman saw the flat out refusal, she sighed. "Look, Lori. I had hoped you would come peacefully, but if you wont, then I'll have to force you. I'm sorry to have to do this." She grabbed Lori's arm with a steel grip.  
  
Lori sat there, paralyzed. She was afraid of what the nurse would do. The nurse reached out behind her, and when she brought the hand out to be in front of her, it was holding a needle, full of a nauseating green liquid. Before Lori could move, the nurse had jabbed it into her arm and then all Lori felt was darkness.  
  
(**) (**)  
  
When she woke up, it was thanks to a deep male voice talking. "I'll need two vaults of adamantium, plus the tools and sedatives by the end of the hour. I want to start operating on this one immediately, and to make sure she doesn't turn out like the last one." Lori coughed, catching his attention. "Ahh," he said, his southern accent getting on her nerves. "Our young Jackal has woken up." Shaking her head to clear it, Lori looked him over. He was a middle-aged overweight man in military grab. "Who are you?" Lori said. "Why'd you call me Jackal?" Looking around, she also asked, "Where am I?"  
  
He laughed an annoying southern accented laugh. "For starters, you are in an American high security army base. I am Colonel William Stryker, and I'm the one that's going to be operating on you today." Lori's eyes widened as she heard this and she started to struggle against the restraints that she had only just noticed.  
  
He continued. "The reason I called you Jackal is that, you are going to be my latest experiment." Seeing her puzzled look, he explained. "You have a certain mutant power that makes it possible to operate on you. Every other person I've tried it on has died. Except two, but they ended up trying to take each other out in the end anyway. Wolverine is still alive, but Deathstryke... she was an unfortunate case." He looked sad for about, a second before he went on. "Anyway, your mutant power is regeneration, which makes it possible for us to operate on you, because you heal so quickly from basically anything we throw at you. You see, what we are going to do, and this is the genius part here; we are going to graft metal onto your skeleton."  
  
He decided not to tell her about the four extractable claws he was giving her also. He had made that mistake with wolverine, and now that his obedience formula that he had used on Deathstryke was gone, he wasn't taking any chances.  
  
"Now that you know all the facts, and that you can't change them, I think it's time to get our business underway, don't you?" he asked with a psychotic grin.  
  
She let out an ear-piercing scream as he advanced at her with a sharp, medical scalpel.  
  
Ok, now let's all be good little cherubs and remember the reason that she hasn't broken free is because 1. She a weakling. And 2. Well, two is that she's a weakling too. Heh.  
  
Guys, I only update if I get reviews, even one will do. So if someone could find it in their generous heart to review this chapter, I would be eternally grateful. Lol. Or more than one person can review, hey I don't mind. 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Dudes, as IF I own any of these characters. Except Lori. She's all mine. And Lori's dad, stupid bum, and basically anything to do with Lori's past life before the X-men. I own that. Except Sydney. I don't own that. That's a BIG place, I don't think I could afford that. Lol.  
  
***  
  
Lori woke from the daze of pain she had been in. They had finally stopped their "experiment" and no one was in the room.  
  
Looking down at her body, she found it was already healed. Maybe there was some truth in the colonel's words after all, she thought.  
  
She tested out her restraints. They were still there, but if she didn't struggle, then she was able to make it out of the arm "handles" without any difficulty. After all, they were made to restrain someone who was struggling, not someone who was calmly getting out of them as if undressing.  
  
As she sat up to undo the leg restraints, she noticed a doctor standing at the door, looking shocked. He raced out when she stood up. "Code 17!" he yelled. "The mutant is escaping! Code 17!" he yelled as he started running.  
  
Lori cursed. That was all she needed. That colonel guy said that this place was high security. Add on to that a ton of guards coming after her to try and place her back in that cage they called an operating room.  
  
She started running. The sooner she got out of there, the better off she'd be. As she rounded one of the corners, she noticed Stryker standing there with two squads of men, all pointing guns at her.  
  
"Now, now, now. We wouldn't be trying to escape would we?" he asked, an angry expression on her face.  
  
Oh great. She thought. That must be a record for the fastest time to ever get caught whilst trying to escape. To him, she said, "Heh, me, escaping? No, I was just taking a quiet stroll and admiring the scenery." She gulped when all the troops cocked their weapons again. Lori was about to turn around and run back to the operating room just to make him happy, but a voice in her head made her think again.  
  
What are you waiting for? It said. Their bullets can't even hurt you. It's like you're indestructible. Fight them. They caused you enough pain already.  
  
"Yeah," Lori said out loud.  
  
"You know what?" she said to Stryker. "I've had enough of you, and I've had enough of this base. I'm leaving." With that she started to walk towards them. Some of the troops scattered, obviously afraid of her for some reason.  
  
Then she noticed the claws sticking out from her hands. That could be the reason, she thought dryly.  
  
Then the fighting broke out.  
  
***  
  
Guys, I only update if I get reviews, even one will do. So if someone could find it in their generous heart to review this chapter, I would be eternally grateful. Lol. Or more than one person can review, hey I don't mind. 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Dudes, as IF I own any of these characters. Except Lori. She's all mine. And Lori's dad, stupid bum, and basically anything to do with Lori's pastlife before the X-men. I own that. Except Sydney. I don't own that. That's a BIG place, I don't think I could afford that. Lol.  
  
***  
  
Bullets flew everywhere as Lori felt them impact on her body, then just disappear. As she fought towards the man that had caused her so much pain before, she noticed something.  
  
Everything had stopped. No one was moving except her. She stared around at the carnage she had created.  
  
Blood was splattered everywhere and bits of the troops lay here and there, some detached from the troops bodies. Lori started to feel dizzy at the sight.  
  
Then she saw Stryker, and realized it wasn't her fault that this had happened, it was his. Her anger and rage started to melt away as she swayed. This wasn't what she was like at all. Barely ever did her anger get the best of her like it had just then.  
  
A cough interrupted her exhausted reverie. Lori spun to face six very different people, no, not people. Mutants.  
  
Most of them looked relatively normal, except a blue furry creature with a forked tail. He stood beside an African American woman with shock white hair, a man in a wheelchair wearing a suit, a tall gruff looking man whose hair was shaped into two spikes that looked like ears, another man who had a visor around his eyes and who looked like he could lighten up a little. The last one to be noticed was a young woman, probably no older than seventeen. She had chocolate brown hair except for the two white streaks at the front.  
  
Then Lori noticed they were all wearing spandex.  
  
Wearily, she asked, "What do you want?"  
  
If the man in the wheelchair was shocked at her abruptness, he didn't show it. "We're from the Charles Xavier Institute for gifted students such as yourself. We're here to offer you a position at the school."  
  
Eyeing their attire, Lori smirked. "Got a little dressed up for the occasion, didn't you? And you've really caught me at a bad time, I was in the middle of something."  
  
The gruff man cracked a smile. "I like you, kid. You've got spunk." He said as walked towards her. The man with the visor let out an exasperated sigh. "Don't encourage her, Logan." "Whatever one-eye." Was the mans devil-may-care reply.  
  
The Wheelchair Man gave the gruff man a reproving look, then turning his gaze to Lori, he stared her right in the eyes and said, "I think we had some explaining to do."  
  
***  
  
Guys, I only update if I get reviews, even one will do. So if someone could find it in their generous heart to review this chapter, I would be eternally grateful. Lol. Or more than one person can review, hey I don't mind. 


	5. Yay! Reviews!

Disclaimer: Dudes, as IF I own any of these characters. Except Lori. She's all mine. And Lori's dad, stupid bum, and basically anything to do with Lori's pastlife before the X-men. I own that. Except Sydney. I don't own that. That's a BIG place, I don't think I could afford that. Lol.  
  
P.S: thank you to Tidus'luvr99, dani, and mia for your kind reviews. Ppl, review! It gives me warm fuzzy's when someone reviews a story of mine and it ISN"T a flame!  
  
***  
  
Lori's head was still spinning as she sat down and tried to absorb what the mutants had told her.  
  
They had offered her a place at a mutant high school that the Wheelchair Man ran. His name was Charles Xavier, the head professor at the school.  
  
The gruff man that had taken a liking to her was named Logan, or his code name, Wolverine. The uptight man with the visor was Scott Summers, or Cyclops. The blue man was Kurt Wagner, or Nightcrawler. The two women were Ororo Monroe, or Storm, and Rogue.  
  
They had offered to take her back to her home in Australia, so she could talk it over with her parents and she accepted. Now she was on their private jet heading for the Sydney airport.  
  
Lori had called ahead to her parents to tell her she was coming home. It had been a bit difficult, as her claws were still out, and she didn't know how to retract them. She had managed in the end, when Logan held the phone to her ear so she could speak.  
  
Her parents had been frantic, and had wanted to know where she'd been, where she was, and whom she was with. Lorelei had told them that they'd find out more than they wanted to know when she got back, which was in about an hour, then she hung up on them.  
  
She could tell that they were worried about her, but she couldn't face their questions yet. Logan looked at her sympathetically. "Not ready to face them yet, are you?" he asked gruffly.  
  
Lori shook her head wearily. "I can't tell them I'm a mutant over the phone. It just wouldn't be right." "Well, you know as soon as you walk in the door, they're going to see your claws." He said pointedly.  
  
She stared miserably at the curse that the American army had given her. "I know." Then without warning, tears spilled over and sobs racked Lori's entire body. (And no, before you ask, Logan is NOT, I repeat NOT going to be the big cuddly teddy bear that comforts everyone. I'm not THAT bad a writer.) Logan looked around awkwardly. He was never good at these sorts of situations. Storm came to his rescue with a look of sympathy.  
  
"Logan," she said. "I think the Professor needs you up in the cockpit." Logan nodded and vacated the spot that Storm was just about to sit on. Storm put a hand on Lori's back and rubbed it, succeeding in calming down the teenage girl.  
  
"Hey, it'll be okay." She said. "We'll look after you." Lori looked up at Storm's face.  
  
"That's not what I'm worried about." She said at last. Storm gave her an encouraging smile. "Then what are you worried about?" Lori gestured to her claws. Storm smiled, relieved. "Well, if that's all that's wrong, then I'm sure we can get Logan to show you how to retract them." Lori's head snapped up. "What?! You mean Logan has these, too?" Storm nodded. "What, you didn't know? I thought Logan would've showed you already." "No," Lori said, gritting her teeth. "He didn't."  
  
***  
  
Guys, I only update if I get reviews, even one will do. So if someone could find it in their generous heart to review this chapter, I would be eternally grateful. Lol. Or more than one person can review, hey I don't mind. 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Dudes, as IF I own any of these characters. Except Lori. She's all mine. And Lori's dad, stupid bum, and basically anything to do with Lori's pastlife before the X-men. I own that. Except Sydney. I don't own that. That's a BIG place, I don't think I could afford that. Lol.  
  
Guys, so sorry for not updating sooner. My computer was playing up. GRRRR!!!!!! Just as a treat, I'll upload two chappies.  
  
BTW: for Mia, (hope I spelt your name right) Lori's around 15/16 ish. The reason Logan called her kid is because he calls everyone that. And everyone is, considering he was in WW2. (See x-men evolution.)  
  
As Storm went off to find Wolverine, a flash of what Stryker had said to her ran through her mind.  
  
////  
  
"You have a certain mutant power that makes it possible to operate on you. Every other person I've tried it on has died. Except two, but they ended up trying to take each other out in the end anyway. Wolverine is still alive..."  
  
////  
  
"He was there, too. He went through what I did." She whispered with sudden realization.  
  
"Yeah," his gruff voice said from behind her. Lori tensed up. "I was there years ago. I went through exactly what you went through, and I retaliated in the exact same way you did."  
  
Lori finally turned around to meet his gaze. It was fill of a pain she knew all to well.  
  
"When I finally staggered out of there, my mind had shut itself down, and I lost all memories of what had happened. Until just a few weeks ago I didn't even fully remember what happened there. Thanks to the Professor, I've been able to access all of my repressed memories. Now all I'm left with is the feeling of having been violated. And the results of what that monster did to me."  
  
He was silent for a moment, and Lori used that to ask the question that had been on her mind the whole time.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me?" her voice was harsh, and her throat was tight with emotion.  
  
"Why should I have? I had to work out what my life meant after they did it to me, why shouldn't you have to do the same?" he asked as he turned his back on her.  
  
"Because," she said daringly. "You didn't have someone back then. I do now. I have you." She didn't know whether goading him like that would work, but she hoped against hope that it would.  
  
When he didn't answer she grew desperate.  
  
"Please, Logan. Help me through this. You may not have needed anyone, but I need you to help me get control of this."  
  
He sighed as he turned back around. "Alright, now here's what you have to do to retract the claws."   
  
After many tries at getting her new claw to retract, she finally got them back in her fingers just as they were landing in Sydney airport.  
  
"I hate this place." Lori said as she scuffed her feet on the asphalt just outside the terminal. "It's so... icky. There isn't even a name for how I feel about this place." She said as she glared at all the skyscrapers.  
  
"If you hate it so much," Rogue said in her sweet southern accent. "Then why do you live here? Why didn't you just ask your parents to move?"  
  
Lori liked Rogue's accent. It wasn't anything like Stryker's southern accent, this one was sweeter, and it had a nice sound to it. Stryker's had just been mocking.  
  
Lori sighed as she came back to the question. "My parents are both doctors. They didn't want to leave because of their jobs. Sometimes it's like they love their patients more than they love me."  
  
Lori knew she sounded bitter, but she didn't care. It was true. Lori had once calculated that her parents spent 1 tenth of their time with her, and that was eating or watching TV.  
  
Lori sighed again. "Come on." She said to Logan, the professor, Scott and Rogue. Storm and Kurt had stayed behind, promising to look after the ship. Lori flagged down a wheelchair accessible taxi and they took off, heading for the apartment building that she shared with around two hundred other people. When they reached it, she saw movement at the lobby and saw her parents rush out to give her a big hug. She released herself from the hug as soon her parent's grip on her loosened.  
  
"Mum, dad," she said, bracing herself for the worst. "This is Professor Charles Xavier, head of the Charles Xavier Institute for gifted children. He's offered me a position at his school."  
  
Her father's mood suddenly darkened. "So you're the one, who took my baby girl away from me-," he started to yell, turning red very fast.  
  
As Scott moved to stand in front of the Professor, Lori placed a hand on her father's chest.  
  
"No dad," she said in an almost conversational tone. "The military took me away."  
  
Two things happened very quickly, then.  
  
Her father stopped yelling. And her mother turned extremely pale and fainted right off.  
  
Guys, I only update if I get reviews, even one will do. So if someone could find it in their generous heart to review this chapter, I would be eternally grateful. Lol. Or more than one person can review, hey I don't mind. 


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Dudes, as IF I own any of these characters. Except Lori. She's all mine. And Lori's dad, stupid bum, and basically anything to do with Lori's pastlife before the X-men. I own that. Except Sydney. I don't own that. That's a BIG place, I don't think I could afford that. Lol.  
  
Lori felt a snort of laughter escape her lips as her father leaned over her mother.  
  
"What?" he said turning his head so he could see her. "You think giving your mother another of her fainting attacks is funny? After all, you caused it-," Lori just rolled her eyes at him, and started walking towards the door of the building.  
  
Seeing the X-men weren't coming, she turned around and called to them. "What, aren't you guys coming?" If her father knew that she and her guests were mutants, he wouldn't have let her or her newly acquired friends another step towards the entrance of the building. As it was, though, he just followed her, carrying his wife and scowling into the building.  
  
Inside:  
  
Lori led her guests into the cramped living room of her apartment and told them to sit.  
  
"After me 'n' dad get mum settled, we'll talk."  
  
They lay her mother down in the master bedroom, with a glass of water on the bedside and an aspirin then made their way out to the living room.  
  
At the doorway, Lori said to them, "Does anyone want anything to drink or eat while I'm up? Decide now, because I'm not getting up twice." She shrugged when they all said no except for Logan, who wanted some beer, if they had any.  
  
When she returned with her bottle of water and Logan's can of VB, she saw that the X-men and her father were in deep conversation.  
  
'Chucks' as Logan liked to call him, was saying to her father, "Everyone here except Rogue is a teacher at the Institute, and Rogue herself is a student. I thought it would be a perfect assembly of people to come visit your daughter with." He smiled politely to Lori's father and instantly she knew that was a big mistake. Her father didn't like anyone who smiled at him, with the exception of Lori and her mother.  
  
"So," her father said suspiciously. "What do you all teach?"  
  
"Well," Xavier began. "I myself teach English literature." He motioned for the others to reply on their own.  
  
"Mechanics." Was Scott's reply. "Well," her father butted in before Logan could even talk. "I'm sure my daughter would be interested in that." He said dryly. "You never know, dad, I could surprise you." She said with a scowl as she handed Logan his drink.  
  
Seeing that Logan held the beer in his hand like he drank it all the time, her father narrowed his eyes.  
  
"And what do you teach, sir?" he said with mock politeness. Logan looked scathingly at Lori's father. Before he answered he took a long swig of the VB. "Art." He said, spitting out the word.  
  
"You're all liars." He father stated calmly as he stood up and opened the door to the apartment. "And liars have no place offering my little girl a place at their 'school.'"  
  
Lori followed her dad to the door and shut it.  
  
"Sit down, dad." She said this with so much force that he felt he had to comply. When he was seated, she took a seat on the arm of Logan's chair.  
  
"You're right dad. We haven't been honest with you, but it was either that or give you the worst shock of your life. I don't know how to say it, so I'm just gonna show you." She shrugged at the professor, who said in her mind, This will be an interesting way to show your father, although I don't recommend the same demonstration with your mother. She seems quite fragile.  
  
With a deep breath, Lori released her claws.  
  
Guys, I only update if I get reviews, even one will do. So if someone could find it in their generous heart to review this chapter, I would be eternally grateful. Lol. Or more than one person can review, hey I don't mind. 


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Dudes, as IF I own any of these characters. Except Lori. She's all mine. And Lori's dad, stupid bum, and basically anything to do with Lori's pastlife before the X-men. I own that. Except Sydney. I don't own that. That's a BIG place, I don't think I could afford that. Lol.  
  
The first thing that Lori's father did was stand up and back against the wall.  
  
"Mutant!" he gasped. "Stay away from me." Lori felt her heart wrench as she saw his reaction to her. Letting her hands fall to her sides, she felt an unkempt amount of anger flood through her. She held back tears as much as she could.  
  
She tried to retract her claws and succeeded after about a minute. Walking up to her father, she stood in front of him, hands out.  
  
"Dad," she whispered. "I'm still the same old me. You don't have to be afraid, I'd never hurt you." Tears ran down her face when he spat on the ground at her feet and said, "Get out of my apartment." Angrily she swiped at her eyes until all that was left were two bloodshot eyes. "Fine, I'm going then." As she stalked out the door, she yelled at him. "Not that you even care where I've been for the last God knows how long. Not that you care that I have been pushed to the limits and EXPERIMENTED on by the military. Not that you care that I'm still your daughter. You know what? I wouldn't want to stay at a BIGOT'S house any way. I don't see why you discriminate against me when you treat people of other nationality's all the time!"  
  
Then after that, she released her claws, and ran them down the front wall of their apartment, leaving three long scratches that revealed Lori's lounge room to anyone going down the corridor.  
  
She went back to the doorway. "That's just a little reminder of the mistake you just made." She said with a deathly calm voice. Logan grinned at her sassed, but hid it soon, as he realized smiling wasn't the best thing for her to see him do at that time. Then she flounced off down the corridor with the X-men following behind. When they were outside, she waved a taxi down and they were off to the airport. Everyone was silent for a while, before Rogue said, "That was how my parents reacted to me when they found out, too. I guess they didn't want a mutant for a daughter either."  
  
Lori gave a weak smile when she felt the girl wrap her gloved hand around hers for support. If the cab driver was listening, he didn't show any signs of it.  
  
Professor Xavier turned to Lori. "We have a few things to discuss, you and I, but before that, I have to organize your transcripts to be transferred to my school. Logan and Rogue will go with you to the airport, and you will wait for us in the jet. Understand?" Lori glared at him before lowering her eyes to her lap and saying submissively, "Yes, Professor."  
  
"Good." He continued gently. "I know it's going to be hard to control yourself, especially with all you've been through, but we've all been through it, and we're all here to help you. You're safe with us."  
  
Lori felt tears welling up in her eyes again, but angrily blinked them away. "Whatever," was all she muttered.  
  
Everyone except the Professor and Scott got out of the Taxi when the driver pulled into the airport. They then showed the security their passes and got ferried by way of golf cart to the X-Jet.  
  
While everyone else prepared some lunch, Lori found a deserted part of the Jet and sat there, crying. She stayed there until the professor came back with her transcripts.  
  
Dimly, she heard him asking Storm and Rogue, "Excuse me, but do you know where I could find Lori? I have some things to discuss with her." There was a pause, then Lori heard Storm say in a concerned voice, "No, I haven't seen her since she came back with Logan and Rogue. Professor, can't you just find her with your mind?"  
  
"Yes," the professor said with a sigh, "But I don't like doing it. It's an invasion of privacy." There was silence for a moment, and Lori felt something as soft as silk touch her mind. "I've found her." He said. "I would like to talk to her in private, if you two wouldn't mind."  
  
"Yes, professor." Rogue and Storm said in unison.  
  
Lori heard their footsteps going away, and then the whir of the Professor's electric wheelchair as it came to the door of the small room she was in.  
  
Light flooded in and Lori saw the professor's silhouette in the doorway. "Lorelei? Are you alright?" Lori just hid her face in her hands. She didn't look up again until the professor whirred up on his wheelchair and placed a hand on her hair.  
  
"Child," he said. "I know that it's hard for you at the moment, especially with the way your father acted, but you have people on this jet that care about you. Even if your father and mother don't want to see you or to hear from you, you can count on us to be your family. We won't desert you." He said the last bit in her mind.  
  
Lori looked up at him with anxious eyes. "You wont?" she asked, with tears welling up, threatening to flood down her face again.  
  
He shook his head, staring at her with kind, fatherly eyes. "No." he said. "If you keep your faith in the X-men, we will keep our faith in you."  
  
He held his hand out to her and timidly, Lori took it. Drying her eyes, she let the professor lead her out of the room she was in, and to the waiting area of the plane, where everyone was seated, ready for take off.  
  
BTW guys do any of you know Colossus' name? I'm gonna introduce him in the next chappie. Email me at BushTurkey89hotmail.com if anyone cane help me with this. It's just that during the whole second movie I couldn't find out his name, and now I'm screwed. I've been calling him Colossus while I've been writing future chapters and I'm really getting sick of that name.  
  
Someone, anyone, please help.  
  
Guys, I only update if I get reviews, even one will do. So if someone could find it in their generous heart to review this chapter, I would be eternally grateful. Lol. Or more than one person can review, hey I don't mind. 


	9. Chapter 9, keep reviewing

Disclaimer: Dudes, as IF I own any of these characters. Except Lori. She's all mine. And Lori's dad, stupid bum, and basically anything to do with Lori's pastlife before the X-men. I own that. Except Sydney. I don't own that. That's a BIG place, I don't think I could afford that. Lol. Thankyou to Yae yang and to omala moola, (hope I spelt your name right, lol.) btw Colossus' real name, thnks to Yae Yang is Piotr Rasputin.   
  
She sat there, hearing stories about the group's escapades with the X-Men. Sometimes she was laughing so hard she was crying.  
  
She was surprised when, after only three hours of flying, they reached their destination. She voiced her surprise, and Scott replied, "The Blackbird isn't an ordinary jet. It's at military standards because of our need to reach new mutants quickly, in case they do more harm while we're not there." Lori nodded in false comprehension and tried to stare out the window, as to see new school she was to attend.  
  
Lori was amazed at the huge grounds. The school had gardens, two swimming pools, a big forest behind it, a big driveway, a basketball court, and luscious green ovals. The buildings were old timeless structures that were marvelously preserved. Logan laughed as she pressed her nose against the cold window of the jet.  
  
"You have to breathe, you know." He commented with a smirk. Lori blushed and quickly looked away from the school. She stared at the fabric of Storms' chair in front of hers.  
  
"I didn't say look away," Logan said. Lori looked out of the window and saw teenage looking guy covered completely in metal. Lori yelped and looked away just in time to see Rogue hit Logan gently on the arm.  
  
"Logan that was mean. You scared her." She said with her southern bell accent. Logan gave her a full out grin and laughed. Turning to Lori, he said, "Sorry about that. I just wanted to see your reaction to Colossus."  
  
She gave him a questioning look. "Colossus?"  
  
"Yeah," Logan said casually. "You know, the guy out there covered in liquid metal? The one you nearly started screaming about? His real name's Piotr, but his codename is Colossus."  
  
Lori just nodded and pretended she knew what he was talking about. The jet gently touched down, and Lori unbuckled, stretching.  
  
"Come on, squirt." Logan said, placing a hand on her back. "Let's get you to your room."  
  
Lori obediently allowed herself to be led through a series of underground tunnels that led from the jet hanger to the ground. When they emerged, it was in a part of the old house.  
  
"This is where you will be taking most of your classes," the professor said in a tour guide-ish fashion. Lori stared up at the ceiling, at the skirting boards and at all the people that populated the hallway they were walking along. Two girls, one with brown hair, one with strawberry-blonde hair waved to the professor and the X-men and stopped when the professor whirred up on his chair to greet them.  
  
"Lori," he said. "I'd like you to meet Kitty and Siren. Kitty's gift is in phasing through objects and walls. Siren's is the ability to omit high- pitched frequencies that can shatter glass and deafen people."  
  
Lori grimaced at this. "Remind me not to get you angry." She said dryly. The girl cracked a smile and silently agreed.  
  
"Kitty, Siren." The professor said. "I would appreciate it if you helped Lori get settled in to her classes and show her around. If you're not too busy that is, of course."  
  
The girls looked at each other, excited. They had a new girl to be friends with. The two bouncy airheads agreed instantly. Lori was shocked when the professor asked the girls that. She didn't like it either.  
  
"If it's all the same to you professor, I'd rather stay with the people I trust." She said quietly, avoiding the eyes of the girls whom she had just offended.  
  
There was an awkward silence for a moment before Rogue broke it. "I guess I'll show you around then, hey Lori?" Lori shrugged then fell into step behind Logan as he walked outside.  
  
"I think the outside of this joint will be more your style, Lori. That's where we have our "training sessions."" He said with a grin.  
  
Lori looked terrified.  
  
"Logan," the professor called from the doorway leading back into the hall. "Bring Lori inside, Rogue want's her to meet someone."  
  
Logan rolled his eyes. "Oh here we go. Now you get to meet Rogue's boyfriend Bobby." He said the last word with disgust. Lori looked up from where they trudged along the grass. Rogue came to the door just as they were stepping through it, leading a boy by his arm.  
  
"Lori," she said. "This is Bobby. He's my boyfriend."  
  
Lori eyed him warily. "So what's your power." He asked, holding out his hand to shake hers. She didn't take it.  
  
Holding her arms up with her palms to her face, she let go of her claws. Hastily Bobby stepped backwards.  
  
"Regeneration's mine, what about you?" she said coolly. With a bit of a grimace, she retracted her claws.  
  
With a blow of his breath, he had created a small pile of snow on his hand. Then he held it up to his lips and blew on it, causing a small snowstorm around Lori's head.  
  
"Impressive." Lori said. "You do party tricks."  
  
When everyone except Logan looked at her in shock at her rudeness, she said quietly, "I'd just like to go to my room, professor, if that's all right with you. It's been a rough day."  
  
"Logan," the professor said. "If you could show her. Take the express route, though. Lori looks as if she's about to drop." And indeed she did. She had bags under her eyes, and her whole body sagged as if it were an abandoned string puppet. Her feet trudged along, and it seemed as if all her excitement about the appearance of the school had worn away, leaving nothing but a skeleton of a girl behind.  
  
Logan nodded and steered her down the corrider as Rogue raced around trying to do damage control.  
  
Guys, I only update if I get reviews, even one will do. So if someone could find it in their generous heart to review this chapter, I would be eternally grateful. Lol. Or more than one person can review, hey I don't mind. 


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Dudes, as IF I own any of these characters. Except Lori. She's all mine. And Lori's dad, stupid bum, and basically anything to do with Lori's pastlife before the X-men. I own that. Except Sydney. I don't own that. That's a BIG place, I don't think I could afford that. Lol.  
  
When Rogue got to Kitty and Siren, they gave her a dirty look and kept talking to each other.  
  
Rogue sighed. She didn't need this. She had enough troubles of her own with the whole 'not allowed to touch anyone deal'.  
  
"Guys," she said. "Guys look at me. Don't blame Lori for what she said. She's had a really rough day. A really rough couple of weeks actually."  
  
When they gave Rogue a look that said 'go on' she sighed.  
  
"She's only just found out she's a mutant, and when her father found out he acted really bad towards her. He started calling her names, and disowned her. She's just finding it hard to trust anyone." She said sadly.  
  
The two girls looked at each other. "Okay," Siren said. "We forgive her. God knows I had a hard enough time convincing my parents that I wasn't a freak, even with my powers. I'd've hated it if they had still disowned me."  
  
Kitty nodded sympathetically. "I juts hope she can come to trust us. I don't like living in the Institute with people who don't trust me."  
  
"Just give her some time, she'll come around."  
  
With that crisis aborted, Rogue went to see Bobby.  
  
He was seated at a table across from Piotr in the cafeteria. Rogue would've snuck up on them and given Bobby a surprise, but Piotr waved to her, and Bobby turned around to look.  
  
Rogue thread her way through the groups of tables to reach theirs.  
  
Sitting down next to Bobby, the first words that came out of her mouth were an apology.  
  
"Bobby, I am so sorry for what Lori said to you. She's kinda had a rough couple of weeks." Her voice was pleading, and Bobby couldn't stand to see her like that.  
  
Taking a gloved hand in his, he said. "Look Rogue, it's fine. I could tell she'd been in for a wild ride just by looking at her. She seemed kind of beaten up."  
  
Rogue smiled, relieved that Lori wouldn't be in too much trouble after her impolite comments.  
  
"So," Bobby said. "How'd she get those claws? I mean they're the same as Logan's, but he got his when..." he trailed off when he saw her expression changed to one of sadness.  
  
"It was the army." She said, her voice barely above a whisper. "They experimented on her because her power's regeneration. The school nurse turned her in, and then she was put through what Logan was put through. After they did it, she escaped somehow and killed everyone she could before we showed up." A lone tear ran down her cheek.  
  
Bobby got a clean napkin and wiped it off. He would've done it with his bare hands, had he been able to touch her without getting hurt.  
  
"Both of you have to promise not to spread it around, though. I don't think that's something she'd want being spread around the school." Rogue said, looking first Bobby, then Piotr in the eye.  
  
Both of them nodded, although Piotr pointed out to her, "When she unleashes her claws, everyone will either guess, or go right to the source and find out."  
  
Rogue gave him a steely glare. "Just make sure neither of you tell them why Lori has claws."  
  
They both nodded again.  
  
Rogue, feeling relieved, ordered herself some lunch.  
  
Guys, I only update if I get reviews, even one will do. So if someone could find it in their generous heart to review this chapter, I would be eternally grateful. Lol. Or more than one person can review, hey I don't mind. 


	11. Extremly boring chapter

Disclaimer: Dudes, as IF I own any of these characters. Except Lori. She's all mine. And Lori's dad, stupid bum, and basically anything to do with Lori's past life before the X-men. I own that. Except Sydney. I don't own that. That's a BIG place, I don't think I could afford that. Lol.  
  
As soon as Lori got to her room, she fell onto the bed and slept through until the next morning.  
  
They had given her own separate room, just in case the whole Rogue/Logan thing happened again. (A/N: if you're any kind of X-men fan you should know that they're talking about the bit were rogue tries to wake Logan up in the first film and he wakes up and stabs her, lol.)  
  
Lori was grateful for this. She didn't feel like being around anyone she didn't know, and Rogue already had a roommate. When she woke up, it was to someone pounding on the door.  
  
"Lori, wake up!" it was Logan's voice. "I was sent to fetch you for breakfast, and if you don't come and open up this door, NOW, then I'm gonna slice through it!" Lori groaned and pulled herself up. Trudging over to the door, she opened it, looking extremely bleary eyed and worse for wear than she had the previous day.  
  
She didn't remember any of the nightmares that had haunted her sleep.  
  
"Ah, you're finally up. Quick," he said. "Put on some clothes, the Professor wants to have breakfast with you."  
  
Lori groaned and got a shirt out of the closet in her room. It had a little 'X' on it, as did the pants. Lori shrugged and went into her en suite to change. Running a brush through her hair, she got out most of the tangles before she pulled it into a ponytail. Logan ushered her down the hallway and into the professor's sitting room.  
  
"Professor," she said uncertainly. "You wanted to see me."  
  
He looked up from the book he was reading and smiled at her. "Ah, Lori." He said. "I trust you had a good sleep?"  
  
Lori remembered some of the night before, with her tossing and turning, then waking up to find that she couldn't remember any of her dreams.  
  
"Yeah." She said, lying through her teeth.  
  
The professor looked as if he knew she was lying, but he didn't mention it.  
  
With a flourish of his hand, he guided her eyes to the breakfast that was set out on a table.  
  
"I hope you like toast, bacon and eggs. There's also orange juice or coffee if you feel like it." he said kindly.  
  
Lori smiled at the sight of food and sat down to enjoy it.  
  
"Now, Lori." The professor said. "To your education here at the Institute." He pulled out a few papers. "These are your transcripts," he said, handing them to her. "They say that you excel in the social sciences and that you do extremely well in English and Japanese."  
  
He looked her in the eyes. "Lucky for you, we have all these subjects that you did at your old school. There is however, only a Grade 11 law class. We will allow you to join that class if you can prove that you can take the workload. As to your other subjects, we have grade 10 equivalents of each of them, although you may be a little behind."  
  
"As to your compulsory subjects," he said. "There is training to be done in regards to your gifts, and your adaptations. That class is with Logan. He also teaches compulsory self defense classes in the mornings. It is mandatory to attend these at least three times a week, but I suggest that with your adaptations you should train more. It helps with self discipline."  
  
"After your academic classes, you are required to spend time in the danger room. This is only on three days, and sometimes four days a week, as we can't accommodate for the entire student body in there. That is where you put your skills that you have learnt with Logan in your separate training to use. More will be explained about this in your first session."  
  
Lori listened to all this intently, while eating her breakfast.  
  
"Now Lori," he said. It was obvious he had memorized the speech from telling it countless times. "I know this seems like a lot of work, but it's not really, once you get used to the load."  
  
"Lori, there's a gap in your timetable, however, because we didn't know what to put in. instead of your compulsory six academic subjects that you had to do in Australia, we have seven. We didn't know what to put in there, so we thought we'd consult you."  
  
Thanks ever so much, Lori thought sourly. To him she said, "May I please have a look through the list of subjects?"  
  
After scouring the list for something she thought she might remotely enjoy, she noticed that they had Modern American History, something that she'd never learned before.  
  
"I would appreciate it if I could be placed in Modern American History, if possible." She said as politely as she could.  
  
The professor nodded and wrote it down on a piece of paper. "If you'd accompany me to my office, I'll have your timetable printed out in no time." He smiled at her.  
  
"Okay," she agreed, and then they were walking towards the office to get her timetable.  
  
(A/N: great, now that that boring chappies over. Dude it was even boring for me to write it, which doesn't usually happen, lol. Guys, I only update if I get reviews, even one will do. So if someone could find it in their generous heart to review this chapter, I would be eternally grateful. Lol. Or more than one person can review, hey I don't mind.) 


	12. Chapter 12, what an original title

Disclaimer: Dudes, as IF I own any of these characters. Except Lori. She's all mine. And Lori's dad, stupid bum, and basically anything to do with Lori's past life before the X-men. I own that. Except Sydney. I don't own that. That's a BIG place, I don't think I could afford that. Lol.  
  
Sorry it's been so long I coming, kept on forgetting to upload it when I was on the net, lol. As a treat, you get two chapters.   
  
The next day was the start of her lessons.  
  
The first thing she had was with Logan: Self-Defense Class.  
  
Rogue and Bobby were there to give her company, and Lori felt much better for it. But that didn't mean that they went easy on her. Neither did Logan, as she was paired first with him for evaluation purposes.  
  
As he ran at her, claws out, she was forced to release her own. The whole class gasped as she dodged an attack from him then returned one of her own. As she thrust her claws at his stomach, then tried to slice upwards, he grabbed hold of her arm, and flipped her so she fell on her stomach in the dirt.  
  
"Thanks." She said. "You could've at least had the decency to flip me on the grass so I didn't get dirt on my uniform.  
  
She brushed dirt off her new white uniform and just jumped aside when Logan came running at her.  
  
"One thing, squirt." He said, panting. "You don't stop in a fight to dust yourself off. Or else I get you."  
  
Lori threw herself to the side as he leaped at her. He just came right at her. They went on like this for a while, like cat and mouse. Lori was mostly the mouse.  
  
Maybe the fight had taken it's toll on Lori, or maybe she just couldn't be bothered dodging any more, but the next time he leapt at her with his claws out, she didn't or couldn't dodge the attack.  
  
As she feebly tried to block his claws with her own, she felt a pain in her side, and blood running down the right side of her T-shirt. With a cry, she dropped to the ground, covering up her wound.  
  
"Ouch." She hissed through her teeth as Logan knelt beside her.  
  
"You okay, squirt?" he asked sympathetically.  
  
"I will be." She muttered as the rest of the class gathered around her. They were all shocked at what their teacher had done.  
  
"Do you mind?" Lori called to the onlookers. "There is such a thing as privacy."  
  
Logan, at the same time, said, "Hey, I'm not teaching you to stand around watching someone all day."  
  
They grinned at each other as everyone back to their assigned areas, even though they all continued to throw glances her way.  
  
"Here," Logan said. "Let me see." He grabbed hold of her hand and pulled it away.  
  
Her wound was healing already. As Lori watched in amazement, he smiled.  
  
"That was the first time you'd seen yourself heal, wasn't it?" he asked.  
  
She nodded and stared up at him. When she realized he wasn't going to say anything else about it, she asked, "Can we have a break now?"  
  
Laughing, he dismissed the class and they all went to breakfast.  
  
Once again people, review, like good little children, and you get a treat. A new Chapter!!!!! It'll be up as soon as I get a review, or more. -Stix89 


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Dudes, as IF I own any of these characters. Except Lori. She's all mine. And Lori's dad, stupid bum, and basically anything to do with Lori's past life before the X-men. I own that. Except Sydney. I don't own that. That's a BIG place, I don't think I could afford that. Lol.  
  
Next was English, which was pretty boring, because the class was in the middle of assessing orals. (A/N: those of you that don't know how boring that can be are lucky. That means' they've never HAD to sit through it. Lol)  
  
Storm, who was the teacher, said once all the orals were done, "Lori, since you have had no time to prepare an oral, we were wondering if you'd get up and tell us a bit about yourself and where you came from."  
  
Taken aback, and ready to run from the room screaming, Lori got up and slowly walked to the front of the room for her oral. She had never liked orals; they were always so stressful to her.  
  
Facing the front, she took a deep breath.  
  
"Hi, everyone." She started, nervous. "My name's Lori, and I come from Sydney, Australia. It's really crowded there, so it's nice to come here, because it's so...roomy. Um, my power is regeneration. I like to read a bit, and my favorite movie is 'The Dead Poet's Society.' Thankyou."  
  
Swiftly she moved to sit down in her seat, but hands were raised for questions.  
  
Dreading what they were going to be, she picked a boy at random. It was the boy Rogue had introduced her too, Colossus or his real name Piotr.  
  
"Um, the question I'm pretty sure we're all wondering, is-," Lori froze in terror; what if he was going to ask her where she got her claws?  
  
He finished the question. "Do you have kangaroo's and wallabies as pets?"  
  
Lori rolled her eyes at him.  
  
Lori looked skeptical. "I don't believe you guys think that! Nope, no wallabies in our backyards, they're more Central Australia. It's also illegal for most people to own them. Most people who can run wildlife sanctuaries."  
  
When she saw a look of comprehension on almost everyone's face, she made her way to her seat, and forestalled any other questions.  
  
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Piotr looking at her weirdly. She just turned around and rolled her eyes again for good measure.  
  
When English was over, Lori made her way to year 11 law. It wasn't all that different to her yr. 10 class back in Australia, except this one was much better behaved.  
  
Japanese was a blast. It seemed that not only did the teacher teach the Japanese language, she also taught the Japanese culture, which meant that they were making things all lesson out of paper.  
  
The next subject was Modern American History. Lori was majorly behind, but the teacher gave her some books to read if she wanted to catch up. Lori left the classroom with a bag twice as heavy as it had been before.  
  
The last academic subject she had for the day was math's. The most boring subject known to man. (A/N: no offense to y'all out there that actually likes it.)  
  
This subject went by normally as it was almost as boring as her last maths class.  
  
Dinner was after this, and that's where Lori met up again with Rogue and Bobby. Piotr was also there, but he was too busy looking up some notes on one of his subjects to really be much company.  
  
They laughed together and discussed how each other's day went. After dinner, they all made their way down to the danger room together as the professor had decided to place Lori in Rogue's group for company.  
  
"So guys," Lori said, acting nonchalant, even though she was terrified. "What exactly do we do in the danger room?"  
  
They all looked at her. "You mean you haven't been told yet?"  
  
Lori shook her head.  
  
"I guess you'll just have to wait and see, then. Won't you?" Rogue said laughing.  
  
After that, Lori barred them off. Hmpf! Wouldn't tell her what happened in the danger room. Hmpf!  
  
A/N: well that's chapter 13. Hope you all liked it. Too bad if you didn't, I can't do anything about, especially if you think this is gay, because I'm having fun writing and that's pretty much all that matters to me.  
  
There is going to be a little bit of Lori/Piotr romance in the next chapter. Only the teeniest bit, but hey.  
  
If anyone has any constructive criticism towards my writing styles, however, read and review, plz.  
  
-Stix89 


	14. Finally Updated WOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO...

Disclaimer: Dudes, as IF I own any of these characters. Except Lori. She's all mine. And Lori's dad, stupid bum, and basically anything to do with Lori's past life before the X-men. I own that. Except Sydney. I don't own that. That's a BIG place, I don't think I could afford that. Lol.  
  
A/N: I'm about to faint from shock. I just logged back on and found I had forty two reviews. Good work people, keep it up, lol.  
  
I'm so sorry I haven't updated for like, two months, but my computer had like ten virus', and when we got rid of one, turned out another two popped up. Mum just ended up rewriting the computer, but don't worry. ALL my work was saved. Just as a treat, and because none of you have sent me hate mail because of me not updating for yonks, lol, I'm gonna give you a whole heap of chapters.  
  
When they reached the Danger Room, Lori gasped. It was huge.  
  
Rogue, Bobby and Piotr led her up to the control bubble (A/N: you know, the thingy where Professor Xavier and all the teachers sit.)  
  
"Ah, Lori." The professor said. "I see you made it." Lori gave him a small smile. He had been like a father to her since she came to the Institute. "How was your first day of classes?" he asked.  
  
"Good sir," Lori replied politely. "We had a little trouble in Self Defense because Logan wouldn't let up, but its all better now." She mock-glared at Logan while placing a hand on her side.  
  
The professor's eyes crinkled in a smile. "Yes, I heard about that. You were lucky he only got your side, and not perhaps your neck or something more serious."  
  
"Yes sir." Lori said attentively.  
  
"Anyway," the professor said. "Back to the matter at hand. What you are here to do in this training room is learn how to use your mutant powers to overcome difficulties you might find whilst being a mutant. This can be anything from government attacks to strikes against us from other mutants. We practice everything in here from rescue attempts on one of ours, infiltration techniques and full out assault. You fight against the Danger Room as it does its best to stop you from winning. We even sometimes play the flag game." He said with a smile.  
  
Lori grinned. "That's a cool game."  
  
"Not when you play it in the Danger Room." Bobby muttered under his breath.  
  
"You got something to say Iceman?" Logan growled threateningly. (A/N: now don't be nit pickers and review saying he wasn't there when the first came in because he was. I just didn't mention him, lol.)  
  
"Oh," the professor said with a start. "That's another thing we have to sort out. Your code name, what will it be?"  
  
Lori looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked. "What code name?"  
  
"Well, you know," Rogue said. "Code name, like mine. My real name isn't Rogue, it's Marie."  
  
Understanding dawned on Lori. "I get it."  
  
"So, kid," Logan said. "You got anything in mind for your name?" he asked with a smirk.  
  
She looked down. "Well, the man that did this," she gestured up and down her body. She took a deep breath and continued, stronger now that she realized she was in the company of friends. "The man that gave me my claws called me Jackal. I think that was going to be my code name. I guess I'll keep that one." She said in another small voice, in case they laughed.  
  
"Jackal," Logan said. "I like it. Almost as good as Wolverine." He said with a grin.  
  
Lori smiled back at him and Piotr noticed what a pretty smile she had.  
  
"Lori," the professor said. "Are you happy with the code name Jackal?" he said solemnly.  
  
Lori nodded and the professor replaced his solemn face with a happy one.  
  
"Well then, let's get this session in the Danger Room underway."  
  
Lori came out of the danger room feeling bruised and battered. She voiced this opinion and Rogue laughed.  
  
"Yeah, for pretty much all of your lessons until you get fitter you'll feel that way. It's tough training, but it prepares you for action." Piotr said.  
  
Lori was wary-er than usual around him. In the danger room they had shared what Lori was pretty sure would classify as 'a moment'.  
  
Lori had been in the way of a laser gun (You know those things that shoot at Kirt in his first danger room mission when he accidentally zaps into the danger room with Toad? If you don't know, then just imagine big gun things. Lol) and Piotr had pushed her out of the way, landing on top of her.  
  
They had stared into each other's eyes for a few moments before Piotr's lips were coming towards hers. Then a laser had fired near them, sending them both running and forgetting the moment they had just had. Until now.  
  
Lori sighed. Things used to be much simpler, you know, before she had claws.  
  
Rogue caught the sigh and said, concerned, "What's the matter?"  
  
Lori smiled a lopsided grin. "You know, the usual reasons after being banged around all day, first by Logan, than by self firing lasers." She said casually. It wasn't a lie, strictly speaking.  
  
"Ok then," Rogue said, grabbing her arm and steering her towards the elevator. "Let's get a snack into you, and then we'll get you to bed."  
  
Lori was grateful for her friend's guidance. The way she was now, she didn't think she could've pushed the elevator button.  
  
When they had gotten Lori back to her room, and she was settled in her bed, she thought, Maybe that moment with Piotr was my imagination. Time did kind of slow down in that room.  
  
That was her last thought before she passed out from exhaustion.  
  
Review! Review! Review! Review! Review! Review! Review! Review! Review! Review! Review! Review! Review! 


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Dudes, as IF I own any of these characters. Except Lori. She's all mine. And Lori's dad, stupid bum, and basically anything to do with Lori's past life before the X-men. I own that. Except Sydney. I don't own that. That's a BIG place, I don't think I could afford that. Lol.  
  
As usual, when she woke, she remembered little of her nightmares, only that she had been terrified in them, and that al through them, she kept on seeing the Colonel's face smiling maniacally.  
  
Lori woke up with a pounding head and a dry throat. Then she realized the pounding wasn't only in her head.  
  
"Lori," Piotr yelled through the door. "Rogue and Bobby wanted to know if you wanted to come to Self Defense with them."  
  
"Bugger off." She yelled with her face in her pillow. She was still tired from her session in the Danger Room.  
  
"Alright." He said through the door again and left her to her sleep.  
  
She woke up about an hour later and got ready for class. He entire body was sore and it felt like a whole herd of elephants had trampled it.  
  
She had Yr. 11 law first up, and she found it exciting. It wasn't just parliament that they studied here; they also debated on controversial issues like child abortion, terrorism, and Human Rights.  
  
It was nothing like her old class. In her old class, she had had an old man, who seriously needed to pluck his nose and ear hairs. All they had done in that class was review parliament house and the political system in so fine-r detail that it had Lori falling asleep most of the time.  
  
In this class, Storm, or Miss Monroe, as she liked to be called, called the shots.  
  
Lori liked Storm's style of teaching from the start and instantly decided that out of all the classes she had been to so far, this one was her favorite.  
  
When the bell rang signaling the end of the class, Storm pulled Lori aside.  
  
"Not all the orals have been spoken," she said. "I want you to work with Kitty and Syrin to come up with a positive argument about Women's Rights. You have until Thursday. I'll make your oral last, and your speech has to go for five minutes."  
  
Lori's heart leaped. A chance to prove she was worthy of a year eleven class! The only problem that Lori could think of was that she would have to work closely to two complete strangers, but she was willing to do that if it got her marks up.  
  
"Okay miss, I'll have it done in record time, I promise." She said and basically skipped out of the class.  
  
Her next class was math's, which was fast becoming one of her most despised subjects. She had this one with Piotr, which made her uncomfortable at first, but once she saw that he wasn't ready to admit that something had happened either, she relaxed some more.  
  
"Piotr," she whispered. "What's mean, medium, and mode again? I've forgotten it since I last did it at school."  
  
He smiled at her and showed her how to calculate each of them, and then how to put the series of numbers they were using into box plots.  
  
(A/N: I just finished learning that at my school. SOOOOOO boring. Mega boring. If the say they're gonna teach it to you, run. Very fast. Preferably away from them.)  
  
The rest of the day went well, and training with Logan was interesting, to say the least. Mostly, it was exactly what they do in Self Defense Class, except this was more close and personal. For an hour and a half, Logan drilled her on different offensive strikes and defensive counters (sparring, if you didn't know), and he showed her stretches that he required her to do each day to get her more flexible.  
  
Lori winced when he showed her the first one. It was the classic reaching for your toes, but with a difference. Instead of holding the position for perhaps a half a minute, he required her to do it for b.  
  
She lasted one minute before collapsing into a heap.  
  
At the end of the training session, Lori said to Logan, "You are an evil man, Logan."  
  
Instead of the laugh she had expected from him, he looked at her seriously. "No, I'm not. I'm doing what you asked me to do: learn to deal with your adaptations. And this is what I'm doing now. So learn to deal with it, because your training isn't going to stop."  
  
Lori was shocked that he'd taken her joke seriously, but before she could apologize to him, he had walked out of the training room. Lori felt guilty in an instance. She shouldn't have joke like that. Logan obviously had had a bad past, and obviously didn't want to talk about it.  
  
Scrubbing her face with her hands, she went to dinner, and met up with Rogue, Bobby and Piotr. 


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Dudes, as IF I own any of these characters. Except Lori. She's all mine. And Lori's dad, stupid bum, and basically anything to do with Lori's past life before the X-men. I own that. Except Sydney. I don't own that. That's a BIG place, I don't think I could afford that. Lol.  
  
In the morning Lori worked up enough courage to go to Self Defense.  
  
Upon entering the garden they practiced in, she noticed she and Logan were the only ones there.  
  
"Hey, Logan?" she asked a bit self-consciously. She was never good at apologies.  
  
"Yes?" he looked up from where he was stretching.  
  
"I'm sorry I called you an evil man the yesterday. I didn't mean anything bad by it. And I don't want to stop my training either. It was just that I found it hard to do the stretches and all. I'm sure I'll get better at it with practice." She said as she studied the grass at her feet.  
  
When he stood and placed a hand on her shoulder, she looked up at him. "It's okay," he said. "Just don't joke around like that again, okay kid?"  
  
He grinned and then flipped her using a footsweep.  
  
She landed on the ground with a grunt, and then glared up at her teacher.  
  
"What was that for?" she asked, scowling.  
  
"To remind you to keep your guard up," he said roughly. "Anyone could be your enemy. Anyone could turn into your enemy. You don't want that."  
  
Lori nodded slowly. The betrayal from the School Nurse and her best friend still hurt.  
  
She got up when the rest of the class, including Piotr, Rogue and Bobby walked in.  
  
Half way through the lesson, Kitty cam running through the wall in search of Lori.  
  
Interrupting the class after speaking to Logan, Kitty went straight to Lori and Piotr.  
  
She waited for them to acknowledge her before she turned to Lori.  
  
"Lori," she said. "The professor said that there's a phone call waiting for you in his office. He says you have to get there fast. It's urgent."  
  
Lori frowned. Why would anyone call for i heri?  
  
Kitty grabbed onto her hand and phased through walls to get her quickly to the professor's office.  
  
Lori didn't like the sensation of going through solid objects one bit. So she closed her eyes as soon as Kitty even came close to a solid objects.  
  
Unfortunately, one of these solid objects was the Professor's door and Lori didn't know Kitty was stopping until she did, leaving Lori to slam into the solid oak door. (A/N: I don't know if oak is really solid wood or not. Just pretend it's hurt A LOT if you banged into it head first, lol.)  
  
PROFESSOR'S OFFICE  
  
Professor Charles Xavier sat on the phone talking to someone when he heard a crash on the door followed by a lot of swearing.  
  
"Excuse me one minute." He said as politely as he could into the phone, then wheeled to the door.  
  
Opening it, he saw Lori there with Kitty. Lori was holding her head and talking to Kitty in angry tones.  
  
"Why didn't you phase through it? I thought you were going to phase through it so I closed my eyes."  
  
Kitty smiled helplessly. "It's rude to just go phasing through doors without knocking, you know."  
  
"You didn't seem to mind while we were on our way here," Lori said, scowling before she even acknowledged the professor.  
  
Still rubbing her sore head, she turned to the professor. "You wanted me?" she asked.  
  
Professor Xavier nodded and then wheeled his way to the desk.  
  
"Someone is on the phone for you." He gestured to the phone.  
  
"I'll leave you alone for now. I imagine you'll want some time alone to speak to her."  
  
i Her? i Lori thought as she picked up the phone. Kitty and the professor left the room.  
  
"Hello?" she asked cautiously into the phone.  
  
"Hello, Lori, is that you?" the woman on the other end said, sounding desperate.  
  
Lori's knees went weak and she sat down hard on a chair in the professor's office.  
  
"Mum?" she said, shocked.  
  
DUMDUMDUMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!  
  
By now you should all now how pathetic I am at cliffhangers, so deal with it. Lol.  
  
Review and you get another chapter. 


	17. Chapter 17

"Mum?" she said into the phone.  
  
Then she remembered her father's outright disowning of her and yelled into the phone.  
  
"Why are you ringing me? I thought you and dad wanted nothing to do with me." She spat into the phone.  
  
"That's not true darling." Her mother pleaded. "For your father, yes it is, but not for me. I had no say in you going away, remember? I'd fainted."  
  
Before her mother could say anything else, Lori butted in. "Look, mum, I can't deal with this right now. Maybe when I work out why everything is happening to me I'll be able to talk to you and pretend that you still love me. But not now. I have to go now."  
  
Then Lori hung up the phone before she could hear her mothers shocked gasp.  
  
When Lori went to her next class, she sat away from everyone else and just sat there and did her work quietly. All through her lessons before lunch Rogue, Bobby and Piotr shot her puzzled glances.  
  
At lunch they ambushed her while she sat at a table at the corner of the cafeteria. "So, Lori, you gonna tell us what's up, or do we have to force it out of you?" Rogue said with a grin.  
  
Lori didn't even glance up from where she was munching on her sandwich.  
  
"Lori?" Piotr said, concerned.  
  
Placing down her sandwich, Lori looked up at them with casual eyes.  
  
Piotr wasn't fooled though, he could see the hurt that had been masked easily.  
  
"My mother rang." She said like she didn't care. It was just one sentence, but it sent shock waves through her friends. They all knew how her father had treated her, and how he had disowned her, but they hadn't heard anything about her mother, so they just assumed that she had been on the side of her father.  
  
"So what did you do?" Rogue asked, covering one of Lori's hands with her gloved one.  
  
Lori yanked her hand away and continued eating lunch.  
  
"Lori," Rogue said. "Please, tell us. We're you're friends."  
  
"Whatever." Lori said, and stood up, leaving her tray and the rest of her sandwich on the table.  
  
Then she started walking towards the door, before Piotr stood and followed her.  
  
Lori kept going though, and Piotr kept following her all the way to her room, where, when he tried to follow her in, she slammed the door in his face.  
  
He pounded on the door.  
  
"Lori," he called. "Lori, I just wanna talk."  
  
Lori sighed, knowing she wouldn't get him to leave until she at least acknowledged him.  
  
Opening the door, she said casually, "So talk." And leaned against the doorframe.  
  
"uh, okay." Piotr said, trying to cover his surprise.  
  
"Lori." He said. "you can't just keep hiding away your emotions. I've tried that, it doesn't work."  
  
He tried to come into the room. Lori stepped out into his path.  
  
"then what does work?" she spat bitterly. "wearing your heart out on your sleeve? I tried that with my father when I became a mutant. It didn't work out for me or for him. He didn't want to know, and now he does, he disowned me. That's wear showing your emotions gets you. In a big dark hole that just keeps getting bigger."  
  
Piotr grabbed both of her shoulders and marched her backwards to a chair, where he forced her to sit down.  
  
"that was one man. One selfish man. The X-Men are different. I'm different." When he saw his little speech barely affected her, he played his trump card. "your mother's different."  
  
Lori's expression faltered.  
  
"no, she's not." She said firmly, but softly.  
  
"she is, Lori." Piotr said. "she tried to contact you, didn't she? She tried to make amends and you hung up on her."  
  
"I hung up on her." Lori whimpered.  
  
Then the tears flowed down her face and sobs wracked her body.  
  
Piotr knelt next to her and wrapped her in a bear hug.  
  
He pulled Lori close and murmured words that didn't mean anything. Lori clung to him and soaked his shirt with her tears. What she needed at that moment was a solid rock to cry on, and Piotr was providing just that for her.  
  
Eventually the bell for their next class rang, but neither of the two let go of each other.  
  
Remember guys, review and ya get another chappie. 


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: no I do not own any of the X-Men except Lori. All the other dudes belong to Marvel Comics.  
  
I think.  
  
Eventually Lori pulled away from where she was drenching Piotr's shirt in tears.  
  
Pulling away completely, she blushed and looked away from Piotr.  
  
"if you tell anyone I did that, I'll kill you." She said, flustered. Piotr too was looking embarrassed.  
  
"No problem, not gonna tell anyone at all." he said, blushing too. Standing up, he moved to the door.  
  
"um, if you ever need to talk..." he trailed off, looking at Lori.  
  
She was standing perfectly still, barely even breathing.  
  
"Piotr," she said, struggling. "I can't move. What do I do?" Indeed she couldn't. She seemed stuck in her position, except that Lori could move her eyes and everything except her bones.  
  
Piotr was contemplating turning into his metal form, and was about to when all the metal latches on the window flew open. His heart nearly stopped. He knew what was going on. Immediately, he turned to find someone who could help.  
  
"I'll be back." He called over his shoulder.  
  
Then a man wafted in, his purple cloak billowing behind him. (a/n: is magneto's cape really purple? What's his costume like? Email me ).  
  
"hello my dear," he said to Lori, smiling pleasantly.  
  
Lori's eyes widened as an unseen force spun her, then made her float.  
  
"now, my child, you have a choice. Either come with me, or be ripped to shreds so that not even Charles can use you in his little mutant school."  
  
Lori began to put the pieces together.  
  
"what have you done to me?" she yelled. "Who are you? What do you want?"  
  
the man grinned. "I am Magneto. I have the power to manipulate metals. I am freezing you in place by manipulating your adamantium skeleton. As to what I want with you, I plan for you to come back to the Brotherhood and join me and my followers in bringing down the human race, and paving the way for mutants all over the world."  
  
Lori's eyes widened. Destroy the human race? She thought. This guy is mad.  
  
"once again," Magneto said. "you have a choice. "join me, or die."  
  
Lori licked her lips. "if I do join you, what would you do for me?" She knew it was a stupid risk to question the man while he had this power over her, but she had to wait until Piotr came back with reinforcements. The man chuckled.  
  
"why, child, I just won't kill you."  
  
Lori swallowed. She obviously didn't have a choice.  
  
She opened her mouth to accept, but she was interrupted by someone at the door.  
  
"Eric!"  
  
(Review and another chapter, you shall get. Lol. That was my pathetic attempt a yoda talk.) 


	19. Chapter 19

"Charles." Magneto said with a small smirk.  
  
As far as Lori could tell, the professor was there with Scott, Ororo, and Piotr, who was still in his flesh form.  
  
"How nice of you to come."  
  
"Let her go Eric. She's been through enough already." The professor said forcefully.  
  
"No, Charles, I don't think I'll do that." Magneto said with a sneer. "You forget, you have no power over me while I where this." He tapped his left pointer finger to his helmet and smiled.  
  
Then Lori had an epiphany. (Hehe, I just love that word.)  
  
Magneto's attention was on her now. "Choose." He said. Just one word, yet it meant so much.  
  
Lori's eyes filled with tears. "my 'human' parents disowned me because of what I am. I hate them. I hate how all other humans do that. Discriminate against something different, try to kill 'us' because we're different. I think it's time that they get a taste of there own medicine."  
  
Looking Magneto square in the eye, Lori took a deep breath.  
  
A/N: sorry for such a short chapter guys.  
  
My next one will be up VERY soon, so long as someone reviews. 


	20. Chapter 20

Lori took a deep breath.  
  
"I'll come with you, on one condition."  
  
Magneto's raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"  
  
"Let go of your control on my body. If you want me to trust in you, you'll have to trust in me."  
  
"What?" Lori heard the X-Men's cries of disbelief, horror and shock.  
  
"Lori don't do it!" Piotr pleaded. "If you join him he'll use you."  
  
Lori longed to tell them her plan, but couldn't. No one could know until it was time to put it to action. Otherwise Magneto would find out.  
  
The old man smiled. "Your request is reasonable. Just remember not to try anything. I can gain control of your body in a second. Remember that."  
  
He let her drop to the ground, expecting her to fall over upon impact. She remained standing.  
  
Lori turned her back on the X-men, and walked deliberately towards Magneto, as if to look him in the eye and tell him something important. When she was less then a meter away from him, she stopped in her tracks.  
  
He looked expectantly at her, waiting for whatever she was going to say.  
  
Without any hint as to what she was doing, Lori curled her hand into a fist.  
  
When she hurled it into his face, and the metal grafted onto her knuckles hit him full on in the nose, he fell to the ground.  
  
Before he had a chance to gain control over her body again, she flung herself at him again, this time tearing off his helmet.  
  
"Here," she screamed at Piotr. "Catch."  
  
All she was able to do before Magneto regained control over her body was throw it, and hope it reached him.  
  
"You fool of a girl!" Magneto screamed as he spun her around using his power. "Now you will find out what the meaning of pain is!"  
  
Lori screamed in agony as he dislocated all the joints in her body. He was going to tear her limb from limb, but Charles gained access into his now exposed mind and stopped him dead in his tracks.  
  
As Charles forced Magneto to let go of his hold on Lori, the girl fell to the ground, barely conscious.  
  
Piotr ran forward to pick her up, then moved slowly back to where the other X-Men were.  
  
"Scott," the professor was saying. "Call the army. Tell them to come pick up a rogue mutant. Also request that they bring sedatives. I don't want to have to keep this up until they get him to their plastic prison."  
  
The professor turned to Storm, "In the meantime, go get some sedatives from the medical wing. I suggest getting enough for Lori AND Magneto. Even with my holding him in place, we don't want to risk him getting away."  
  
She rushed off to do that as Piotr laid Lori down her bed.  
  
"Piotr?" she rasped, her eyes barely focusing.  
  
Piotr placed a hand on her cheek. "Shhh," he said. "Just rest for a moment. You're going to be okay."  
  
Lori nodded painfully and closed her eyes.  
  
Storm came rushing back in and quickly administered the sedatives to both Magneto and Lori. Magneto tried to fight it, but just ended up sleeping like a baby.  
  
A/N: how did you guys like that chapter?  
  
Review and you get another one.  
  
Personally though, I thought that chapter was kinda weak.  
  
But that's just my opinion. If you have one which you want to share, which I know you do, then hit the blue 'Go' button and submit a review. (((((( 


	21. Chapter 21

The army came for Magneto, expressing their profuse apology for ever letting Magneto get away in the first place.  
  
Lori woke up long enough to thank Piotr for getting the Professor and everyone when he first realized she was in trouble. Then she fell back into a well rested sleep, her body already healed.  
  
Even though she was back to full strength, she still slept until noon the next day. The sedatives were doing their work. Lori was thankful when she woke that she didn't have nightmares.  
  
When she woke again, it was in the medical wing with Piotr watching over her.  
  
"Hey," she croaked as she pulled herself up.  
  
Piotr smiled at her and moved some pillows to support her.  
  
"How are you?" he asked, taking her hand. He just sort of spaced out after that.  
  
"I feel great, considering all my bones were just dislocated. Where am I?" she asked.  
  
"The hospital wing," was Piotr's non-committal answer.  
  
Piotr's absentmindedly massaged her hand with his thumb and was staring off into space. Suddenly he grinned at her hugged her close.  
  
"Thank god you're all right." He murmured into her ear. Lori was shocked at first, but ended up hugging him back just as fiercely. Piotr pulled back a little bit, and looked her in the eye. Slowly but surely, their lips came towards each other's, and Lori was tilting her head to meet his, and just as they were about to make contact, the medical wing door opened, and they flew apart.  
  
In walked Rogue and Bobby, burdened with flowers and chocolates.  
  
"You're awake!" Rogue exclaimed giving Bobby her load. She rushed forward and gave Lori a hug. She had long sleeves and gloves on, which meant that she could hug Lori as long as her face didn't touch Lori's.  
  
Bobby just sort of did a half wave, as he was still struggling with his packages.  
  
Placing them on the bed next to Lori's he grabbed Lori into a brother like bear hug, and gave her a few poundings on her back.  
  
Lori pushed him off of her, mock-scowling.  
  
"What are these?" she asked, gesturing to the chocolates and the flowers.  
  
"They," Rogue said with a flourish. "Are gifts from the student body, and some of the teachers."  
  
Lori nodded, barely taking it in. even though she had been a little cow to basically everyone except the teachers they still were nice to her.  
  
"For me?" she asked disbelievingly. They nodded.  
  
Lori picked up a card and read it. It was signed by all her law class, and at the bottom it said, "hope this makes you feel better. We got everyone to sign this. Love Syrin and Kitty."  
  
Lori's eyes filled with tears and looked up at her three closest friends. "They should know that I'm alright though. I've regenerated from worse than this."  
  
Rogue smiled. "Of course they know that you're better already. But that isn't how it works. Whenever someone gets hurt, everyone sort of teams up to cheer him or her up. It's no different for you, just because you have regeneration. People were concerned when you got hurt, and this was their way of showing their concern." Lori smiled up at her.  
  
"Oh," Rogue said, almost forgetting. "Logan says he wants you back at training by tomorrow morning. He says you can have tonight off, since you get today off as well, but tomorrow you have to be there."  
  
Lori nodded. "Well," she said. "I'm just about ready to get away from the hospital wing, and I've only been awake for about five minutes." She joked. The others laughed. "Alright," Rogue said. "Why don't Piotr and Bobby go see Storm and see if you can be released back to your room yet."  
  
"Why both of us-," Bobby started saying, but Rogue just gave him a push towards the door.  
  
"Now," Rogue said as she jumped to sit on Lori's hospital bed.  
  
"I think it's about time you tell me what's going on between you and Piotr." She said, cracking a smile.  
  
Lori gaped at her. "What do you mean?" she asked, giving a weak expression that she didn't know what Rogue was talking about.  
  
"I mean," Rogue said. "That Bobby and I just walked in on you and you were about to kiss. And if I'm not mistaken, you and Piotr nearly kissed your first time in the Danger Room too."  
  
Lori contemplated brushing her off and telling her to mind her own business, but decided against it. She was different now. She realised that the X-Men were different and that they wouldn't disown her for showing her feelings.  
  
Lori blushed and looked down at her quilt.  
  
"I don't know what's going on between us. It kind of confusing. We've nearly kissed twice, the other day and today, and when my mother rang, he was the one to comfort me. I like him and all, but I don't know if he likes me, or if it's just my imagination."  
  
Rogue smiled and held Lori's hand. "Trust me." She said. "It is so not your imagination."  
  
Then the boys were back. 


	22. Chapter 22

"Storm says you're okay to go to your quarters," Piotr said as Lori blushed, hoping they hadn't heard any of their conversation.  
  
"Thanks for asking, boys." Rogue drawled. "Now why don't you two go and have some lunch, while I go take Lori to her quarters."  
  
"But Rogue," Bobby whined. (A/N: he is such a whiner.) "You promised we'd have lunch together."  
  
Rogue looked stuck. She could either let her boyfriend down, or leave her conversation with Lori unfinished.  
  
Seeing Rogue's indecision, Lori pushed her friend towards Bobby. "Go to lunch." She said. "I'll be able to get to my room with out you."  
  
Rogue frowned at her, but couldn't figure out an excuse to skip lunch with Bobby. "Alright," she grumbled. "Come on you." She said, and dragged Bobby out by the hand.  
  
"She looks kind of grumpy." Piotr remarked, watching her drag Bobby out of the room.  
  
Lori nodded. "Um, Piotr," she murmured. His attention returned to her.  
  
Suddenly, Lori's throat was very dry. "Um, could you show me back to my rooms? I don't know the way from here."  
  
Piotr gave her a full-fledged smile. "Sure." Lori grabbed her gifts from the bed beside her, with Piotr carrying some as well, and followed half a step behind Piotr as he led her to her room.  
  
Lori opened the door, and they both walked into the room. Piotr placed the gifts on Lori's table, then sat next on her on the bed.  
  
"Lori," he began. "Piotr," Lori said at the same time.  
  
They both gave a nervous laugh, and Lori looked to the door, wishing it were shut.  
  
"You go first," Lori commanded.  
  
Piotr opened his mouth to object, but shut it, thinking, now or never.  
  
"Lori, I-," he started. "Oh, shove it." He cursed.  
  
Pulling her towards him, he captured her mouth in a sweet kiss, expecting at any time to be slapped. Instead, she just pulled him closer by wrapping her arms around his neck. When they finally broke off, in need of air, Lori pulled him into a hug, resting her head on his shoulder.  
  
He stroked her hair, thinking about what had just happened.  
  
"Well," he said teasingly. "I didn't expect you to just kiss me back like that."  
  
Lori just nodded into his chest. "At least no one interrupted this time." She said. Piotr laughed and had to agree.  
  
"Lori," he said his voice barely above a whisper.  
  
"Why did you kiss me back?" he asked.  
  
Lori was quiet for a moment.  
  
"I don't know," he said and Piotr's heart sank. "Wait, I do know. It was because I like you a lot Piotr, and I was sick of everyone always interrupting me when I wanted to say it."  
  
Piotr smiled. He knew he was grinning like an idiot, but he didn't care.  
  
"Why'd you kiss me?" Lori's question stopped his ecstasy. He pulled her back to look at her.  
  
"I kissed you because I wanted you to know that I cared about you. I didn't want you off with another guy without knowing that I like you."  
  
With that, he tilted her chin and gazed into her eyes. Then his lips found hers and they were lost in bliss again.  
  
Meanwhile:  
  
"Rogue, what's the matter?" Bobby asked, concerned that his girlfriend seemed so distracted.  
  
They were outside, under a tree having a picnic. Bobby had swiped one of the blankets from the supply closet and had brought it out to the gardens to sit on while they had lunch.  
  
"Huh?" Rogue said, looking up. "Oh, Bobby." She seemed surprised that he was still there.  
  
"It's nothing much. Just girl troubles." Bobby looked suspicious at this, but let it go. He knew that if it was really important, she would tell him.  
  
"You know what?" Rogue said. "I'm not actually that hungry. I'm sorry to flake on you, but I think I'll go back to my rooms."  
  
Before he could protest, she was up and making her way across the lawns towards the main residential building.  
  
She walked to Lori's room, intending to knock, but she found the door was open. Looking inside, she saw Lori and Piotr hugging, and talking in hushed whispers. Then they pulled back and started kissing.  
  
Rogue gave a small gasp, but quickly looked away and closed the door behind her. 


	23. Chapter 23

Lori heard a small gasp, but didn't break her kiss with Piotr. Eventually, she had to pull away though. Her stomach was growling, and she was pretty sure Piotr hadn't eaten much since the day before.  
  
"What?" Piotr said, looking worried as she got up.  
  
"I'm hungry," she said with an amused smile on her face.  
  
Piotr groaned and flopped back onto her bed with his head in his hands.  
  
Lori picked some clothes out of her wardrobe and went into her bathroom. She had a quick shower, then emerged from the bathroom with her hair in a ponytail and fully clothed.  
  
By this time, Piotr was up and about, opening her window and letting the fresh air in.  
  
He looked up when she entered the room and whistled. She wasn't wearing anything different to her training outfit, but he felt he needed to do it.  
  
Lori blushed and spun in a circle.  
  
Piotr smiled and walked her to the cafeteria, hand in hand.  
  
On the way, Lori was stopped in the corridors by well wishers who wanted to ask her how she was and blah, blah, blah. She was polite, but still rushed to get to the cafeteria.  
  
No one failed to notice how she held Piotr's hand tightly and how he squeezed hers back just as hard.  
  
At last they made it to the cafeteria, where they grabbed some sandwiches and took them out to the gardens to eat.  
  
Piotr led her to a garden that didn't have too many students in it, and they sat to have lunch together.  
  
That's where Logan found her, holding hands with Piotr and talking.  
  
"Hi," she called to Logan as he approached. He gazed at her and Piotr's adjoined hands for a moment, before he flicked his eyes up to look at Lori's. She met his gaze challengingly, and did not let go of Piotr's hand.  
  
"Lori, Piotr," Logan said in the way of a greeting.  
  
"Hi Logan," Lori said brightly. "How are you?"  
  
"I'm fine." Logan growled. "The thing I want to know though, is how come you're sitting in a empty garden, holding hands with Piotr."  
  
"Is there a problem?" Lori asked icily.  
  
He narrowed his eyes at her. Turning to Piotr, he said, much to Lori's distress, "What are your intentions towards Lorelei?" Lori winced at the use of her full name.  
  
"Lorelei?" Piotr murmured. "It's a pretty name." He said when she blushed faintly.  
  
As Piotr turned back to Logan to answer him, Lori stood up and dragged Logan a few meters from where Piotr was.  
  
"How dare you." She hissed to him, turning red with anger.  
  
"I'm just looking after your interests." Logan said, clearly believing he was the correct one.  
  
"Don't give me that load of bull." Lori spat. "You're trying to act like my father, when the truth is, I don't have a father. You should know that. You were there when he disowned me."  
  
"Lori-," Logan began, beginning to lose his patience.  
  
"Logan, don't." Lori was seething. "Just get away from me before I do something drastic." She was glowering at him, and was holding her hands at her sides like she wanted to release her claws and run them through him.  
  
He gave her one last glare, before backing down and walking out of the gardens.  
  
Lori sagged like a bag of bones when he was out of range of sight.  
  
Turning to Piotr, she was about to apologise, when she remembered something.  
  
All that talk about her father had reminded her of something. She hadn't even thought once about her mother since she had gotten out of the hospital wing.  
  
Swearing, she turned to Piotr and sat down.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked, tentatively taking her hand.  
  
"I still don't know what I'm going to do about my mother." Lori said softly, looking at the ground.  
  
Piotr pulled her into a bear hug and held her.  
  
They stayed like that for a while, while Lori thought about what her mother had said.  
  
Lori thought about how she had always wished her mother and father were more involved with her life when she was little, and she was ashamed to realise that now her mother actually wanted something to do with her education, she had turned her mother down and had made her cry.  
  
She decided to call her and see what her mother had to say.  
  
With that thought through, her and Piotr made their way back to the Institute main building to arrange with the professor a suitable time to call her mother. 


	24. Hey y'all, I just gave you ten more chap...

No matter how hard Lori tried to persuade Piotr otherwise, he was determined to be with her when she called her mother. It was seven o'clock at night her time, and ten o'clock in the morning Australian time. (A/N: I have NO idea whether this is correct. I just made it up. Lol.)  
  
Lori ate a brief dinner, having been too nervous to eat much anyway, and then she and Piotr made their way down the corridor to the professor's office.  
  
After the professor had excused himself, Lori took a seat next to the phone in Piotr's lap.  
  
She picked up the phone with trembling hands and dialled the number.  
  
It rang a few times, before a voice answered the phone. It was her father. Lori gasped and nearly dropped the phone.  
  
"Hello?" her father called into the phone once more. "Hello? Are you there?"  
  
He seemed grumpier than usual.  
  
"Um, yeah, I'm here." Lori squeaked. "Could I please talk to Barbara?" she said into the phone, hoping that her father wouldn't recognise her voice.  
  
Her prayers were answered as he said, "Sure," then set the phone down.  
  
She could hear his calls in the background. "Barbara! Someone's on the phone for you!"  
  
She heard her mother pick up the phone, "Hello?"  
  
Lori was silent for a moment.  
  
"Hel-," her mother was saying when Lori interrupted. "Mum?" she said her voice dry.  
  
Piotr tightened his grip.  
  
Her mother gasped. "Lori," she hissed into the phone. "Listen, honey, can you call me back in about ten minutes on my mobile? I want to make sure your father doesn't hear us talking. I'll pretend to go out for a walk."  
  
Lori drew a ragged breath. "Sure mum." she said into the phone.  
  
"You still remember the number?" her mother asked, concerned.  
  
Lori rolled her eyes. "Yes mum." she droned.  
  
They said a quick goodbye, and Lori gently hung up the phone. Sighing, she leaned into Piotr.  
  
"What happened?" Piotr asked gently.  
  
"I'm calling her back on her mobile." She said resigned. She didn't want her mother to be fearful that her father would find out she was talking to her own daughter.  
  
"Okay," Piotr murmured into her ear.  
  
They waited both restless for ten minutes before Lori picked up the phone and punched in her mother's mobile number quickly.  
  
It rang once before her mother answered it.  
  
"Lori?" she said into the phone.  
  
"Yeah mum, it's me." Lori mumbled.  
  
"Honey, you called back." Her mother sounded close to tears. "How are you?" her mother asked. "I hope you're eating right and getting plenty of exercise."  
  
Lori laughed, thinking of her training sessions with Logan. "Oh yeah mum. I'm getting plenty of exercise."  
  
Piotr chuckled, knowing she was referring to her training with Logan.  
  
"Whose that?" her mother asked, curious.  
  
"His names Piotr, and he's my boyfriend." Lori said.  
  
"Okay." Her mother said. "He sounds cute."  
  
Lori giggled. How can someone sound cute? She thought. She shook her head at her mother's foolishness.  
  
"Anyway mum," Lori said, taking a deep breath. "I called to say I'm sorry for the way I treated you when you rang. A lot of stuff was going on, and still is going on, but now I'm starting to sort it all out. So can you forgive me?"  
  
"OFCOURSE I can forgive you Lori. I understand completely. I'm sure if I had been operated on and had claws I would've been a little upset."  
  
Lori smiled wryly as her mother went on.  
  
"It's perfectly alright honey. But, I was wondering, could you tell me what really happened? I know about the claws, but I don't know who did them, or anything. Honey please?" her mother, said when Lori hadn't spoken. "I just want to know what you went through."  
  
Lori took a deep breath, contemplating it. She was her mother after all, and should know what Lori went through. But she hadn't told Piotr yet, even though he already knew.  
  
Deciding, she said into the phone, "You'd better sit down mum, it's a long story, and if you aren't sitting down, it'll be a long way to fall if you faint."  
  
Lori heard her mother hurrying around to find something that could be a chair.  
  
"I'm sitting down." Her mother breathed into the phone.  
  
"Good." Lori said, and began her long, long story.  
  
When she got tot the bit where she killed al those army soldiers that were just doing their jobs, she couldn't go on.  
  
She tried, once or twice, but couldn't speak past her sobbing. Tears ran down her face as she heard her mothers concerned voice over the phone. "Lori, Lori, are you alright?"  
  
Then Piotr was taking her into his arms, and taking away the phone. After making sure that Lori was securely in his lap, he picked up the phone.  
  
"Hello, Barbara, was it?" he said.  
  
"Yes?" her mother said, worried even more that Lori was no longer on the phone.  
  
"I'm Piotr, Lori's boyfriend. As she said earlier, she has been going through a lot of stuff. It's really hard for her to talk about what happened next, and I'm not going to say it. I think you should just drop the subject for now, and talk about something else. But I think that's gonna have to wait until Lori calms down as well. I'll tell her you said goodbye."  
  
Amidst Barbara's protests, Piotr hung up the phone and cradled Lori with both arms.  
  
Lori looked up. Her face was all red and blotchy, but Piotr didn't care. He hugged her to his chest once more.  
  
"I killed them, Piotr. I killed them all." That was Lori's muffled voiced into Piotr's chest.  
  
"I know." Was Piotr's simple answer. "I'm sure that's what anyone would've done, had they been in your position."  
  
She just continued to cry into his chest.  
  
After a while of just sitting there, Piotr made Lori pull away.  
  
When she tried to protest, he just placed a hand over her mouth.  
  
"Come on, Lori. You have to be strong." Piotr murmured.  
  
Pulling her off him, Piotr took her hand and started leading her to the door.  
  
"Lets go get some late dinner and then you can go to bed. You've been through enough. I think all you should do is get some rest."  
  
"What are you, a doctor now?" Lori grumbled, but squeezed his hand tightly.  
  
"No, but I am your boyfriend." He whispered into her ear, sending pleasant shivers down her spine.  
  
Lori leaned up for a kiss, but Piotr just pulled away. Lori, feeling hurt that he pulled away, asked him why he did.  
  
"Because," Piotr said kindly. "You are in an emotionally fragile state, and I'm not going to take advantage of you by kissing you."  
  
Anger flooded through Lori. She dropped his hand like it was dog turd, and stalked off to the Cafeteria by herself. 


	25. Chapter 25

Lori was fuming. Emotionally fragile?! She thought. "I am so not emotionally fragile." She said aloud.  
  
Knowing she wouldn't be able to get rid of all her anger unless she beat something up. So she headed to the indoor Self Defense classroom where Self- Defense was held when it was raining. There, punching bags curtained the wall. Going to the heaviest and therefore hardest punching bag, she started to beat it.  
  
Lori didn't know how long she was doing it for, before she heard a staged cough. Turning around in mid punch, she saw Logan leaning against the doorframe with upraised eyebrows.  
  
"Go away Logan." Lori said wearily. "I really don't want to talk about Piotr right now."  
  
"What'd he do?" Logan growled as he unsheathed his claws.  
  
Lori turned around and leaned against the punching bag. "He said I was emotionally fragile."  
  
"And that's why you're trying to beat up a punching bag?" Logan asked disbelievingly.  
  
Lori nodded, a bit angry that Logan didn't think she was in the right.  
  
"Lori, all guys say that." He said, laughing. "It's to make them feel like you need them to be big and manly. Piotr is no exception to that rule."  
  
"Are you serious?" Lori asked, skeptically.  
  
Logan nodded. "At least once in a man's life, he will say it. And the get slapped down by his girlfriend because of it. Usually he learns his lesson after that, but sometimes not, in which the woman has to beat the snot out of him the next time he does it."  
  
Lori sank to the ground and put her head in her hands. "I made a total fool of myself, didn't I?"  
  
Logan nodded sympathetically. "Yeah, you did."  
  
Making up her mind, Lori got up and walked out. Calling over her shoulder before he was out of earshot, she said, "Thanks Logan."  
  
Instead of going to find Piotr to apologize, she went straight to her room, feeling the effects of the day already, even though it was only 8:00.  
  
There, she collapsed onto her bed, asleep within seconds.  
  
Lori dreams:  
  
She was in a dark room, trying her hardest to block out the pain. They hadn't given her any anesthesia, so it was all she could do not to scream.  
  
"I'm nearly done, my Jackal." A man said. Lori screamed as he once again came upon her with a scalpel.  
  
Lori screamed and woke up, sitting straight in her bed.  
  
As she tried to collect her thoughts while tears ran down her face, both Piotr and Logan burst into the room.  
  
Sobs wracked her body as Logan sat down and held her.  
  
"Shhh," he said soothingly. "It was a nightmare Lori, nothing more. He can't hurt you anymore."  
  
Somehow he seemed to know what Lori's nightmares were about, and Piotr, who was standing there, watching, was jealous.  
  
Lori continued to sob into Logan's chest as more students began to appear, looking for the source of the scream.  
  
Finally, something he could do! Piotr made his way to the door, telling everyone to go back to his or her rooms, and that everything was under control.  
  
After he had finished, and everyone had gone, he turned around to see Lori and Logan had pulled away from his or her embrace and was now sitting on the edge of the bed. Piotr shut the door to the bedroom and joined them, so that he was on Lori's other side.  
  
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she placed her head on his shoulder.  
  
"Are you okay?" he whispered to Lori as Logan got more agitated at their closeness.  
  
Lori nodded, but didn't say anything. "Lori, you know that we're here for you." She nodded again.  
  
"And that you can talk to us whenever you want?" Piotr said.  
  
"I don't want to talk about it," was her choked reply.  
  
"Lori," this was Logan. "Talking really helps, trust me."  
  
"Maybe for you, but I prefer to sort things out for myself." She grumbled.  
  
Piotr shot Logan a helpless glance over the top of Lori's head, and Logan shrugged.  
  
"Alright," Logan said. But Lori, if you want to talk about it, you know where to find us."  
  
Lori nodded again, and Logan motioned for Piotr to leave her alone.  
  
Before he left Lori, Piotr gave her a single kiss on her forehead that left her with a smile on her face.  
  
As they left the room, Piotr turned to Logan. "What now?" he asked.  
  
"Now," Logan said, fixing Piotr with a look. "We talk."  
  
Dundundunnnnnnn,  
  
What will happen? Review and find out you shall, Mmm? 


	26. Chapter 26

Logan and Piotr made their way to the kitchen of the Xavier institute, used when it wasn't mealtime by the students.  
  
Sitting down at the table opposite to each other, Piotr looked Logan in the eye. "So what exactly did you want to talk about?" he asked, acting innocent.  
  
"You know exactly what I want to talk about," Logan growled. "What exactly is your relationship with Lori?"  
  
"I like her and she likes me." Piotr replied coolly.  
  
"And?" Logan growled.  
  
"And," Piotr relented. "We kissed a few times."  
  
Logan growled and unleashed his right hand claws. Grabbing Piotr by the shirt wit his left hand he held the claws to his face.  
  
"I'm only gonna warn you once kid. If you hurt her, then I'm going to kill you. She's been through enough already." Logan threatened.  
  
Piotr looked at Logan's claws for a moment, then back at Logan. "I understand sir." He said calmly.  
  
Logan released him. "You'd better." With that, he stalked out.  
  
Piotr moaned and let his head bang against the table.  
  
The next day, Lori stayed away from everyone. In her lunch break, Rogue, Bobby and Piotr found her in the library, reading a novel.  
  
"What's up?" Rogue said, straddling a chair.  
  
"Nothing." Lori lied. "Look guys, this is a library. You don't chat in libraries."  
  
She tried to brush them off early in the conversation.  
  
"So, let's get out of the library," Rogue suggested. "Yeah," Bobby piped up. "All these old books smell funny. Lets go get some fresh air."  
  
Lori rolled her eyes. "Guys, I'm trying to read a book. Maybe later, okay?"  
  
"Well, Lori," Rogue drawled. "There's this new fanged invention called 'BORROWING' you know. It's where you can borrow a book out from a library for a certain period of time and 'read' it at home."  
  
When Lori made no attempt to move, rogue rolled her eyes and grabbed the book from Lori's grasp.  
  
"Come on Lori, I'll let you use my user name to borrow It." she raced to the front counter and logged on. She borrowed the book quickly and made her way out the door.  
  
Poking her head back in to see if Lori was following, she saw her closely behind her.  
  
Her claws had been unleashed.  
  
"Give me back my book." She said, quietly and fiercely.  
  
Rogue's eyes widened. Without a word, she handed the book back to Lori.  
  
"Lori," Bobby said, astonished at her sudden change of character.  
  
"That was a bit uncalled for, don't you think?" Bobby questioned.  
  
Lori looked at her feet.  
  
"Look," she said. "All I want is some time to myself. I have some things to sort out and I'm not sure I can do them with you guys, okay?"  
  
"Lori, we're here for-," Rogue began but Lori cut her off.  
  
"I know, but I don't need you right now. I need ME. I need to work myself out. I don't want anyone else to do it for me."  
  
"okay, that's fine." Rogue said, deflated. "but work it out soon, please. We miss the old you."  
  
Lori gave her a weak smile. "I'll try." 


	27. Chapter 27

Lori spent the rest of the week avoiding everyone and silently doing her work.  
  
In self-defense she fought more ferociously than ever, giving even some of the most experienced fighters a run for their money.  
  
That was the only time she showed emotion though.  
  
The only people she could stand to be near were Logan and Piotr, but even they were a stretch if they stayed too long, or tried to be too cheery.  
  
She had tried talking to her mother again, but she had ended up saying the wrong things, and every time they talked her mother ended up crying. And then she'd end up running to Piotr and sobbing into his shirt.  
  
Whenever he tried to talk to her about it though, she'd just stalk away, leaving him more frustrated than ever.  
  
Lori's dreams were getting worse, so bad that she was afraid to go to sleep. Even with her regenerative powers, this was taking its toll on her.  
  
In a brief respite, Lori fell asleep in Japanese, and dreamt again of her time with the colonel.  
  
Waking up, she screamed, only to find that the whole class had left the classroom and that the clock said 12 o'clock.  
  
Groaning, she dragged herself up and stalked to the door. It was time se got out of there, away from the X-Men. 


	28. Chapter 28

Lori was very stealthy in getting back to her room, and as she packed some stuff in a clothes bag.  
  
Finally she took one last look at her bedroom and disappeared out of her window, running for the forest that bordered the edge of the Institute.  
  
When she heard voices, she stopped.  
  
Creeping very slowly to a tree, she peered out from behind it.  
  
It was Logan, with her back to her and another man. Another man in an army uniform.  
  
Lori gasped, giving herself away to Logan's sensitive ears immediately.  
  
As he turned around and released his claws, Lori stepped out from around the tree.  
  
"How could you?" she spat. "How could you consort wit someone from the i?"  
  
"Lori," Logan said, sheathing his claws. "You don't understand."  
  
He took a step towards her. "Understand what?" she said bitterly. "That even after what the army did to you, you still consort with them? And that I should too?"  
  
She stalked towards him. "Get out of my way," she growled as she shouldered past him.  
  
"Lori, where re you going?" Logan called.  
  
"Away," was her angry reply. "Away from here, away from the X-Men, and away from you."  
  
"Lori," he called.  
  
The man from the army put a hand on his arm.  
  
"you're sure she wont hurt anyone in civilisation?" he asked.  
  
Logan nodded.  
  
"then let her go," he said. "she probably just needs some time away from everyone. You remember what you were like straight after it happened to you."  
  
Logan nodded. "yeah. But still...,"  
  
He trailed off as he realized that his old friend from the army had left.  
  
Piotr, Rogue and Bobby were frantic. They had gone to Lori's room and had found clothes gone, and all her stuff missing. The professor would not tell them where she was, but they knew Lori had skipped town.  
  
"I can't believe she would do this," Piotr said , getting frustrated.  
  
He was pacing up and done in Bobby's room.  
  
"Dude, maybe she just neeed some time to get away from everything. You know she's been kind of stressed lately."  
  
"yeah, "Piotr said. "but that doesn't mean anything. She has friends here, and me. We would have helped her sort this out in a second."  
  
"maybe she didn't want anyone to sort this out for her." Rogue spoke up from her quiet spot sitting in the corner.  
  
"that's exactly right," said a voice from the doorway. It was Logan.  
  
Piotr looked up. "what do you know?"  
  
"I saw her just before she went. I don't think who I was talking to woulda given her many reasons to stay either."  
  
"why," Rogue asked. "who were you talking to?"  
  
"you know my army contacts, from before I was given my claws," Logan said. Rogue nodded. "well, the leader of my old unit wanted to know about Lori. Wanted to know if she was a danger to anyone. She saw him in his army uniform and freaked. She ran."  
  
Logan looked remorseful.  
  
"and you didn't do anything to stop her from leaving?" Piotr said, turning into his Colossus form.  
  
His face was contorted with anger and disgust.  
  
"no," Logan said simply. "she needs time alone, and we wouldn't be helping her if we rushed out to look for her."  
  
"but Logan-," Piotr started, but Logan cut him off.  
  
"but nothing, Colossus. Leave Lori be, don't go looking for her. She'll come back, eventually. She just needs time to sort all this out."  
  
A/N: well that's mo0re of my time away from work gone done the...JUST KIDDING! Lol. Anyway, review and y'all get a story. 


	29. I'm bored, here's another chapter

Guys, I am soooooooooo sorry I haven't updated. I've been trying to save up for my trip to Japan. It's only 13 days til we go, WOOHOO!

Once again, I do not own anything.

-

Lori eventually made her way out to the streets, where she found shelter under a bridge.

It was a disgusting, filthy place, and she felt sick just looking around. But at least there she'd be able to think about everything. Graffiti covered the walls, and some of the things they said made Lori worried. She didn't really want to sty there, but on the plus side, it echoed, so she'' be able to hear anyone coming from a mile away.

Lori thought about her plan for the next few weeks. First thing tomorrow morning, she decided that she'd go into the city and ask around for jobs. Nothing too public, perhaps a job in the back of a McDonalds kitchen, or in a restaurant washing dishes.

She had a little money, but it she didn't know how much longer she was going to be out all alone, so she needed more.

She felt guilty about leaving all her friends without warning, especially Piotr, but they were smothering her with worry. Logan was the only one that had knew how to deal with her, but he had turned out to be a traitor.

Angrily she kicked a wall. Why did all this have to happen to her? She wanted to scream her frustration, and she did, under the secluded bridge that was to become her home for the next few days.

A/N: sorry about such the short chapter, but I wanted to start afresh for the next chapter.

Review, I want at least three review before I update.


	30. Oh My God a new chapter! HELP!

Lori started by making her way into the city. Once there, she spent the little money that she had on a pair of respectable looking pants and a nice casual looking top. Then she went to a bathroom in a mall and washed her face and spayed a whole lot of her deodorant on her, seeing as she wasn't able to have a shower.

Personal hygiene taken care of, she was soon off wearing her new outfit andapproaching store owners.

"Hello, Ma'am, I was just wondering if you had any spare positions vacant in your café for a hardworking girl like myself?" Lori said, smiling sweetly. (A/N: even I didn't know lori could be such a suck up! Is anyone as scared as I am?)

The woman looked her over. "Hardworking, you?" she snorted. "Girl, it looks like you haven't ever lifted a finger in your entire life."

"God, you know you could at least be polite about it." Lori spat and stormed off.

It went on like this in much the same manner, until Lori came across a small café with about ten people lining up to be served. Lori joined the cue, not wanting to cause any bad feelings between the shopowner and the customers.

When it was her turn, she stepped up smiled armly at the only person working on the register.

"Hello sir, how are you today?" she asked the particularly grumpy looking store owner.

"I'm very very busy, so if you aren't ordering anything, could you please step out of the que." He said, and was already looking around her to serve the next customer.

Stepping back into his view, she smiled again, a little annoyed.

"Listen…Frank," she read his name tag. "I've been rejected by stores all day now, so if you could just give me a straight answer as soon as I say this, instead of all that crap about not being right for the job, I'd much appreciate it. Do you have any positions vacant?"

He stopped trying to look around her and studied her. "Tell you what, you help me out for the rest of the day, I'll pay you, and then we'll see where you go from there."

Lori grinned. "Thanks," she managed to say before he threw an apron at her.

"Now get around here, you'll be working register while I cook out back." The man sad and showed her all buttons. It took Lori a while to get used to the register, but in the end she was working it like a professional.

By the end of the day she was exhausted from being on her feet for so long. When Frank came around from the back with two plates of sandwiches, she was confused.

"Who are they for?" she asked. "Isn't the shop closed?"

"They are for us." He said, and gestured her to a table.

"Sit down, you must be starved." Frank was considerably more generous now that the pressure of about a hundred thousand customers wanting to be served was off his shoulders.

"First of all, I want to thank you. You were a real help to me today. One of my regulars called in sick and I couldn't find anyone to replace her, so I was all alone." Frank said scrubbing his face.

"No problem." Lori said. "I was wondering if you had given any thought to giving me a real job though?" she asked, almost defiantly.

For the second time that day, Frank studied her.

"Tell you what." He said. "I'll give you fifty dollars for today's work and you can come in tomorrow. I'm not saying I'm giving you a job, but I need some help around here for a week or two. It won't be glorious work. Most likely all you'll be is a busgirl. You'll clean tables, collect dishes, we might have you on the register again for short amounts of time. But that's all. And most likely, when the two weeks is up, we won't need you. So don't think of this as a permanent job, because…."

He was cut off by Lori squealing.

"Ooooohh, thankyou thankyou thankyou!" she said, and jumped up and hugged him. Blushing, she calmed down and let go.

Handing her the fifty dollars, Frank nudged her to the door. "Go home. I'll see you here at 9:00 am tomorrow morning."

Lori sighed as she made her way to a run down little hotel and booked herself in for the next couple of nights. That new job was precisely what she needed to forget abou mutants and adamantium claws for a few days.


	31. Chapter 31

Just a quick shout out to Novthoniel… thanks for the review, you too, Lurks in the Shadow, just to answer your questions, Novthoniel, the yellow spandex thing was a joke. And William Stryker is dead. Just not in my fic. I'm thinking of rewriting the starting, so Willie boy is dead. What y'all think?

And on with the show….

At the same time Lori started work, Piotr, Rogue, and Bobby were pestering the professor as to the whereabout of Lori.

He wouldn't budge though, and forced them out of his office.

They followed his orders, and were soon ushered to class by an annoyed looking Logan.

"I don't know why Chucks told me to keep an eye on you three. It's like I'm you're freaking babysitter or something." He grumbled as he escorted them to class.

Rogue, Bobby, and Piotr all sighed in frustration. It looked like it was going to be a long time before they would be free to look for Lori.

Lori was on one of her rare tea breaks. She was tired already and she had only been working for three hours. Oh well, she had fifteen minutes, and with her regneration powers, the energy she had lost being bus girl could easily be replenished. Frank had even treated her a free iced chocolate.

Pretty soon she was back to working on the tables, and surprisingly for her, the two weeks passed by quickly.

It was the even on the last day that had made her an out cast to Frank.

At the end of the day, Lori was happily collecting plates from abandoned tables when she heard the door chime.

"I'm sorry, but we're closing," she said without turning around.

"Good, that means there will be more money for us." One of them sneered. Lori spun around quickly, dropping the plates she had collected on the table.

There were three men with balaclava's on. One had a baseball bat, another had a knife, and the middle one had a gun.

Lori gulped. Then she mentally berated herself. Why was she afraid of these guys? Sure they were big but they couldn't be any worse than Logan's training lessons, and she always survived those.

She broke out into a fullfledged smile.

Even under their balaclava's Lori could see their scowl.

"Why are you smiling at us? We could kill you in a second." The middle one said, and raised his gun.

Lori burst into laughter.

"Yeah, right." The leader narrowed his eyes. "Listen, guys. I appreciate the effort to try and scare me and all, but if you wanted to kill ME, you shoulda brought an army tank or something, because guns, knives, and baseball bats, well, they don't seem to work that well on me."

She turned around and continued picking up plates, knowing full well the leader was going to shoot her. She welcomed it.

With a bang! She felt a pain in her head, then she blacked out.

When she woke again, it was to Frank dishing money out of the draw with the leaders gun at his head.

With a groan that no one noticed, she silently got up and felt around the side of her head. The wound was already closed, and a quick look on the ground showed the bullet had been forced out by her powers.

She crossed her arms and cleared her throat, drawing the attention of everyone in the café.

"You guys really know how to piss a girl off, don't you?" Lori said, and smiled broadly.

"This can't be!" Baseball Bat guy stammered. "Phil shot you in the head!"

"Well, what can I say. You really should have taken my advice about the army tank."

She bent to pick up the bullet. "By the way, here's your bullet." She walked over to the gunman and handed it to him.

"No go, before I get REALLY angry and do something drastic." She said, smirking.

"Like what?" the leader sneered, trying to remain tough, even though, judging by the smell, he had already wet his pants.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe I'll do something like…this?" she said and released her claws.

The three men ran away, screaming about monsters and mutants.

Sighing, Lori extracted her claws back into her body.

Turning, she saw that Frank had backed away into a corner and was now cowering away from her.

"You! You're a…a mutant!" he gasped, terrified.

"Well, I guess you won't be wanting me to come back will you?" Lori asked, smiling tightly.

Biting her lip, she grabbed a hundred dollar bill from the floor.

"I'm taking this for payment alright. And now I'm going to get out of your hair." She slowly walked out the café door, out of the mall and onto the raining streets.

Making up her mind, after she went by the motel to pick up her stuff, she went to the one place she had felt safe since going to America.


	32. Chapter 32

Stopping outside the Xavier Institute, she took a deep breath, which was hard considering the rain that was beating down hard on her.

Then she pushed the walking gate open and made her way up to the front doors. With another deep, calming breath, she pushed the doors open and stepped inside. Lori shivered.

Aftre being soaked by the rain, the airconditioning inside the Xavier Institute was unbearable. Teeth clattering a little bit, she made her way up to the Professor's office.

Hesitantly, she knocked on the door, and waited for a reply.

"Come in, Lorelei." She heard the professor say with amusement.

Three voices cried out in shock. Another just laughed.

Those were four voices that she knew very well.

Grinning slightly, despite her shivering lips, she pushed the door open.

Inside, she was met with a bear hug from Bobby, and a shake of Rogues hand as both she and Lori had bare arms.

She stood back a little hesitantly from Piotr, until he held out his arms, and she ran into them. Noticing a growl, she looked around, mind you still in Piotrs embrace and found the source of the growl.

"Lori we have to talk." Logan said as Lori's anger piked up.

"WE don't have to talk about anything!" she snarled.

"Lori, it's not like that!" Logan protested. "The army guy you saw was an old contact of mine from before I got my claws. He has nothing to do with Stryker!"

"Yeah, I'm sure, and I'm really an alien from Mars trying to fit in with Earth culture!" She was yelling now, and had pulled away from Piotr's embrace.

"Forget it! I don't know why I even came back to this place." She made to storm back out the door, but was stopped by Piotr's loving hand on her shoulder.

"Lori, don't leave again, please." He pleaded as she turned around.

"Just let Logan explain his side of the story, and then maybe you'll want to stay." Rogue said, placing a gloved hand on Lori's other shoulder.

The girl sighed and drew up a chair next to Piotr, and as far away from Logan as possible.

Logan sighed. "You saw me with a contact from my old military days. I used to be a soldier. When I got my…adaptations, and after I had turned against the army, I still kept in touch with some of them. They can be useful sometimes. I help them out, and they help me out. That day my contact had come to me asking about you. He wanted to know whether you were dangerous or not. When you ran away, he was the one that convinced me not to run after you and drag you back by your hair."

"As if you could." Lori said without thinking. Then she caught herself.

"So what did you say when he asked whether I was dangerous or not?" She asked coolly, recovering. She wasn't about to forgive him that easily.

"Of course I said you weren't." he exclaimed. "Lori, I'm your friend, I wouldn't turn you into the military."

Lori looked down, immediately ashamed of how she had acted.

"I guess I acted sort of rash, didn't I?" she said in a small voice.

Piotr squeezed her hand comfortingly. "Everyone does, once in a while." He murmured gently.

Lori sighed and closed her eyes, leaning heavily back into the chair.

"Perhaps, Lori, you should report back to your quarters for a rest? A good twelve hours of sleep will do you good.You get changed and I'll arrange for some food to be cooked for you." The suggestion came from the professor, who had been quiet up until now.

Lori nodded wearily, and Piotr rose to help her to her rooms. They walked silently through the hallways, with everyone staring at Lori like she had contracted a disease. She just gave them withering looks back.

Piotr tried to engage her in a conversation.

"So, how was your two weeks?" he asked hesitantly.

"They included getting turned down for almost every job in the mall, staying first under a bridge, then a seedy motel, getting shot in the head by an armed robber, then stopping those armed robbers from robbing the store I worked at, resulting in the owner firing me." She said, shoulder's slumping.

When Piotr opened his mouth to say something further, she interrupted him.

"Look, Piotr, really not in the mood to talk about this. I'm tired, cold, and hungry. All I want to do right now is curl up in a bed." Preferably yours, she thought in her mind.

She didn't tell him this, but she had sorely missed him while she'd been away, and it didn't help that now she was back, he was acting all hesitant around her.

"Lori, I," Piotr began, but they had reached her rooms.

She stepped through the doorway, and turned to him.

"Goodnight, Piotr." She said, and closed the door gently.


	33. Chapter 33

Lori slept well into the next morning, ignoring Rogue, Bobby and Piotr's fervent attempts to wake her up by knocking on the door.

Eventually she woke. It was 11:30, and with a start, she realised she had missed the dinner she was supposed to have last night. It was waiting for her on her dresser.

Her meal consisted of a ham and tomato sandwich, made on now stale bread, a glass of juice, and some jelly, which now had a thin layer of liquid on the top, thanks to being left out the whole night. With a graon she flopped back onto her bed and scrubbed her face.

Lori knew that sooner or later she would have to go face the music outside and visit the professor. So she decided to do it under the guise of calling her mother. Taking a quick shower, and brushing her hair out to hang below her shoulders, she stepped out of her room, only to be confronted by Piotr, who had been sitting outside her door, waiting for her to wake up.

Resisting the urge to go back in her room and lock the door, she held her chin stubbornly.

"Any particular reason you waiting outside my door? Or were you just sitting there for the hell of it?" She quipped, wanting him to forget why he came, because she knew it would be to question her.

Apparently, she was wrong.

As Piotr blushed, she raised an eyebrow.

"Actually," he muttered. "I just wanted to make sure you weren't going to run off again, at least not without…," looking up, his face reddened even more. "Look, it's really stupid. I shouldn't of even told you that."

Lori smiled.

"You're right," Lori said. "It was stupid."

He was spluttering in outrage when she smiled cheekily.

"I wouldn't leave without saying goodbye. It was hard enough the first time. I wouldn't put you or myself through it again." She said, finishing softly.

He smiled, relieved. "So, where were you going, anyway?" he said, changing the subject.

Lori sighed, her forehead furrowing.

"I was going to see the professor, I knew he'd want to see me soon enough, and besides, I wanted to call my mum, tell her I'm okay."

Piotr nodded. "Um," he said, almost shyly. "Could I walk you there?"

Lori's lips formed thin lines. Why was he being such a shy little boy around her all of a sudden?

"On one condition." She said at last. "Cut the crap and stop being so shy. You weren't like that before I left, and I've only been gone a few weeks, not a few years."

Piotr grinned again, and offered her his arm with a noble bow.

"Will my lady walk with me to the professors rooms?" he asked with a flourish.

She pretended like she was considering it.

"The lady shall." She said simply, taking his hand and walking off to the professors office.

Lori took a breath, and knocked on the door.

"Come in, Lori, Piotr," they heard in their minds.

"I'm never gonna get used to that." Lori muttered under her breath, as Piotr tugged her into the office.

"Lori, I have some things I wish to discuss with you." The professor said as they entered.

She nodded. "I kinda figured you would. After we've 'discussed' whatever it is you need to, can I call my mum?"

"Of course." Was the professors reply.

Lori sat down, and tugged on Piotr's hand to make him do the same.

"Now Lori, you know that I would never let anyone into the Institute if I thought they would endanger any of the students lives."

Lori nodded, where was the professor going with this?

"And I need you to know that Logan is no exception, no matter how checkered his past is." The professors eyes were stern, but kind as he said this.

Lori's eyes found her lap as her face flushed in embarrassment.

"Well, it's not like I know anything about Logan's past," she said defensively. "I haven't exactly been told much about him."

"Yes, I know." The professor said, and strted to wheel his chair around the table.

"Which is why I have asked Logan if I could give you his memories, instead of him having to relive them again. iF you agree, I will transfer the memories from my mind from the time that I dug up Logan's repressed memory, and you will know all you want about his experiments and his lif before it."

Lori's breath caught in her throat. He could share with her Logan's memories, so she could understand about all his connections with the military and how he had gotten his claws?

"I-I don't know." She said at last. "Can I think about it and get back to you?"

The professor nodded his approval and said, "That is quite alright. That decision is not one to be taken lightly."

"Could I ring my mother now?" Lori asked meekly.

Dialling up her mothers number she was relieved to hear the ringing tone.

When the phone was answered, Lori rushed, stupidly, and said, "Mum? How are you?"

"Lori?" her fathers voice rang in her ears. "What the hell are YOU doing ringing this number?"

"Dad?" she said, horrified. "What are you doing answering Mum's phone?"

this was turning bad, and fast.

"She's my wife! I don't have to explain myself to you! You filthy mutant!"

Lori heard her mothers voice. She was beginning to dread every aspect of this call.

"Honey, who are you talking to?" she called faintly in the background.

The phone line went dead.

Lori threw the phone away from her with a starngled gasp and covered her face.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god." She chanted, rocking back and forth.

"Lori, what is it?" The professor wheeled his way around his desk and whirled up to her.

"My father," she gasped out. "He answered the phone, and then I heard my mother in the background. Then he hung up. What if somethings gonna happen to her?"

She started having trouble breathing. Piotr, who had been forgotton until then, rubbed her back until she started calming down.

"Don't worry, Lori, we'll make sure that she wont be harmed." The professor said, looking at her with kind eyes.

Turning to Piotr, he said "Perhaps you would like to take Lori somewhere to take her mind off the recent turn of events. I'll check up on her mother."


	34. Chapter 34

When Piotr led Lori out of the professors office she was despondent. She was already crying, and shaking all over the place. Stopping in a nearby alcove, Piotr enfolded her in a hug. She clung to him for all she was worth, while he smoothed her hair and murmured sweet nothings into her ear. Soon she was quietening down, and in a while longer, she was calm again.

"So…?" Piotr began. "What do you want to do? We could go back to your rooms, and just, … talk, or we could go have some lunch. You must be hungry, I saw the un eatan sandwich and stuff on you dresser. Or do you want to…" he trailed off, listening to a voice in the distance, "Uh oh, Rogue and Bobby. Do you want to speak to them at the moment?"

Still in his embrace, she shook her head. "Hell no. I don't want to explain…this." She said finally at a loss of words.

"Okay, lets make a run for it." He said, an cheery voice.

"No," Lori said, "I've a better idea. They wont dare interrupt us." Lori smiled slyly.

Piotr smiled as he caught on. Tilting her head up, he enveloped her lips with his, and they wer lost in oblivion.

Bobby and Rogue were looking for Lori and Piotr when they came across them, in an isolated alcove. Smoochin' their life away.

They stood there, staring for a moment, then Rogue whispered into Bobby's ear, "What should we do? Leave them alone, or tell them to get a room?"

"Well, we can't just leave them here to get caught by one of the teachers, or worse…Logan." He whispered back.

Rogue tried clearing her throat. They ignored her. So she tapped Lori on the shoulder. With an annoyed sigh, Lori turned away from Piotr.

"Yes?" she asked impatiently.

"I suggest you take that somewhere else before Logan sees you." Rogue said, smirking.

"Before I see what?" Logan asked, looking at the four of them. No one had noticed him approaching.

"Uh…"Rogue began, looking around at the others. Seeing Lori's tear stains, she said quickly, "That Lori was crying. We didn't think that you'd like to see her bawling her eyes out or anything, so we were telling her to take it somewhere…private, and then you showed up and then I started talking. And …all that." She said.

Rogue yelped when Lori kicked her in the leg. "Gee, thanks for that." She said, sarcastically. "Just blurt out everything."

Rogue was about to reply sarcastically back, when her face changed. "Why _were _you crying anyway?"

Lori looked away sadly as Piotr shot disapproving looks over her head.

"I'd prefer not talking about it." She said, not looking at any of them. Turning to Piotr, she tried to put up a brave face. "Can we go get something to eat? I haven't ate anything since like yesterday lunch time."

Silently, he led her to the cafeteria, leaving Rogue, Bobby, and Logan looking very confused.

"What do you think THAT was about?" Rogue asked.

"I don't know." Logan said, "but I suggest we leave Lori and Piotr to themselves for now. They've obviously got some things to work out. Just give them today for themselves."

After Rogue and Bobby agreed they all went off to do their own things.

Piotr sat Lori down at a table, and went to get some of that days special, lasagna. Lori laid her head down on the table. "Why me?" She muttered. "Why couldn't I have one of those families that love you no matter what? But no, I have to have a piece of poo for a father that's xenophobic and pig headed and,"

"A piece of poo? That's original." A voice from beside her said. She looked up and saw Kitty and Siren's smiling faces.

"What's up girl? We haven't seen you in like weeks, we heard you'd run away." Kitty said.

"I did." Lori replied, and waited for the questions of Why?

Surprisingly they didn't come. "Don't worry," Kitty said, "Everyone has trouble adjusting here at first. Especially if they have…problems with their parents finding out. You just gotta know that everyone in this mansion is here for you, because everyone has gone through, or has helped someone that has been in your position."

Lori smiled up at Kitty and Siren. "Thanks." Piotr came back with the lunch. "Hey Kitty, Siren." He said trying to juggle two trays.

Lori took her tray as Piotr sat down across from her. He looked significantly at Kitty and Siren. Nodding his head towards the exit, they smiled and made themselves scarce.

"How you holding up?" he asked, holding her free hand as she stabbed at her lasagna with her fork.

"I'm a little better now. I mean, if anyone can find out if anything's happened to my mum, then it's the professor. All I can do is put my absolute trust in him and hope he comes through."

"That's probably best." Piotr started to stay, but was interrupted by the professors voice in their heads.

/Lori, Piotr, come to my office immeadiately./ it sounded urgent, and Piotr and Lori jumped up and hurried off, leaving their uneatan lasagna for the flies.

Running to the office, they were nearly out of breath when they knocked on the door. It was opened by Logan. They hurried inside, and the professor began immediately.

"Lori, when you left, I rang your mothers mobile again, but there was no answer. Before I tried sesing her with my mind, I rang the home phone. Your mother answered. She was alright, and she told me that your father had left, smashing her mobile, and yelling obscenities all the way down the hallway of the apartment building." He looked at her gravely. She was seating now, and was trembling.

"So, whats the problem? She's alright, right?" Lori said, trying to smile.

"Thirty minutes ago I got a phone call from your mother. She was panicking, and told me that your father came home drunk. Then the phone line went dead."

Lori sat there, waiting for more, anything to tell her that her mother was alright.

"Lori," the professor said, compassion in his eyes. "I'm sorry, but I can no longer sense your mother."

Lori was out of her chair before she knew it, her claws were unsheathed and she was standing. "I'm going back. I want to know what that bastard has done to my mother."

"Lori," the professor said, trying to calm her down. "It could just be that your mother is unconscious, or has fainted, like she is prone to."

Lori would not be calmed down. Her breath started to quicken, and her eyes held a dangerous look.

"Prep the jet professor, I need to see if she's alright." Lori said through gritted teeth.

Then she stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

She was half way down the hallway when Piotr caught up with her.

"I'm coming with you." He said, catching his breath quickly.

Lori was silent. She didn't know what to say. Part of her wanted him to stay, another wanted him to come with her, because she needed him by her side.

When she opened her mouth to argue though, he interrupted her.

"Nuh-uh, no argument." He said firmly. "I'm coming with you, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Lori sighed. All she needed now was for Rogue and Bobby to come as well and then she'd have a whole army of tag-alongs.

"Whatever." She said, resigned.

She folded herself into his arms.

"That a girl," he said, whispering in her ear.

Suddenly, the future started looking better.


	35. Chapter 35

Okay, got something weird coming up in the next few chapters. I dunno, I think I might rewrite it. What do you guys think?

As soon as they were all on board the jet, it took off, blasting towards Australia.

Lori kept fidgeting the whole way there, wondering what she'd say when she showed up on her parents door step after so much had happened.

Well, she knew what she'd say to her father… how about, What the hell did you do to my mother, you selfish bastard?

To her mother… well, she'd have to see if she was alright first, before she decided what she'd say.

Piotr grabbed her hand, to stop her from tapping her fingers against the armrest and further agitating herself.

"It's okay." He said. "We all here for you. Just… stop tapping your damn fingers. It's annoying us all." He grinned to let her know that she wasn't really annoying anyone, and that he was just having a go at her.

"How about you have something to eat?" he said. "We've only got rations, but you must be hungry. I think our lasagna's still waiting in the caf."

That brought a small smile out of her.

"Maybe later. For some reason, I'm just not hungry." Lori said, squeezing his hand.

"You should eat something. It won't help your mother if you collapse from not eating." He said, his eyes serious.

"Piotr, I no hungry. You understandy?" she asked in a simple voice, mocking him.

"Don't worry, babe, I'll catch you if you faint." Piotr said, grinning.

"Babe!" Lori said, raising an eyebrow. "I didn't know we were up to the objectifying part of the relationship."

Piotr reached across and ran his hand down her face, caressing it.

"You know I was only joking, trying to lighten up your mood, you know, seeing as you're so grumpy." Piotr said, grabbing her hand, and holding it tight.

"Well, right now," Lori said, squeezing his hand back, "I don't need to lighten up, I need to see my mother, and make sure she's alright. And if she isn't, I need to make sure that my father is not able to hurt anyone else."

"Well, try not to think about it to much. If you centre on it too much, you'll just wear yourself out."

"You're right. I'm just…I don't know what to feel." She said, putting her head in her hands and giving way to angry sobs.

Piotr undid his seat belt, then undoing hers, folded her into a hug for the second time that day. Giving in, Lori allowed Piotr to be her life line for the moment.

She fell asleep that way, waking when Scott announced that they were coming up over sydney airport. Once they had landed, Lori was out of the plane, and making her way to the airport.

Piotr and Scott called for her to stop, but Lori was out the door of the terminal in no time.

Luckily, her family lived close to the airport, on the outer regions of the city.

It seemed like the cab ride took forever, but as soon as she got out of the car she paused.

How would she confront HIM?

Reviewing her options she decided to can the reconnaissance, and just storm into the apartment, claws out.

Unleashing them, she stormed into the building, pushing past the door man, and running up the stairs. If she was in the elevator, they could stop it, and Lori felt that she couldn't have any delays.

Pushing past people, she heard the fire alarm in the building go off. There wasn't any fire that she could tell, but she bet someone set it off because of her. They probably figured that since there was a mutant in the building, that she was there to kill everybody. But no, she only wanted to kill one person. Soon droves of people were hurrying down the stairs at her, but she was only concerned in one. And there he was, running down the stairs at her. The water spouts on the roof went off, soaking through to her skin.

Her and her father locked eyes, and he started running back up the stairs as people began to shy away from her.

The cry's of 'MUTANT' went up, as people stopped coming down the stairs. They all stood there, staring at her. The only sound made was that of the water sprinklers.

People at the back started yelling.

"Whats the hold up! This is a fire alarm, get your butts down the stairs." An angry voice sounded by the stairs.

Someone pushed at the back, and in result, a little boy at the front fell down, almost being impaled on Lori's claws. In an instant, she had them sheathed, and had caught the little boy, moving up the stairs to hand him back to his mother.

She shuddered away from her, but grabbed her baby back from her, shying back into the crowd.

"I'm not here for anyone except my father." She pointed to him, her gaze furious. "The rest of you should probably get out of here."

Stalking up the stairs, she grabbed her father by his collar and shoved him against the walls, her claws sticking into his neck, but not quite drawing blood.

"I suggest the rest of you go now. The fire alarm was for me, there's no real fire." Lori said, her voice low.

When all the rushing people had ran down the stairs and all that were left were her father and herself, she slammed him down on the stairs.

"Where's Mum?" she asked, her eyes dangerous.

"Up, upstairs." He said, panicked.

"What did you do to her?" she screamed, slamming his head against the stairs.

"Nothing." He said, stuttering. She angled her claws where he would see them and started to dig into his throat.

"I just knocked her around a little. She was unconscious when I left the apartment." He said, his voice a little choked.

She stood up, taking him with her. Throwing him down the stairs, she ran up the stairs, not knowing the state her mother would be in when she found her.

Turning the door handle, she found the door to the apartment locked.

That bastard locked my mother in here when there was a fire drill? She thought, her stomach twisting in disgust.

She sliced the lock off her door, and kicked it open. Running from room to room, she finally found her mother in the walk in robe, tyed up. There were bruises all over her face, and she was still unconscious.

Running to her, she knelt down beside her, undoing the gag in her mouth and untying her bonds.

"Mum, oh god." She said as she felt around for a pulse. She found it, but it was very faint.

"Oh mum," she said, over and over again, cradling her mother in her arms. She was breathing shallow, but it was there. It was there.

The Xmen bounded up the stairs, all saturated because the sprinklers had only just turned off.

"Lori," Piotr said, rushing to her side. Logan was there a second later, holding her hand.

Storm wasn't far behind him, soon checking Lori's mothers pulse and bretahing like Lori had done a moments earlier.

Piotr moved Lori away from her mother as Storm stabilised her mother. In the meanwhile, Scott was calling 000(this is the aussie version of 911).

Piotr hugged Lori from behind, tucking her chin under his. Logan squeezed her hand, giving silent support.

"My father, did you get him?"Lori asked Piotr.

"No, he ran, but we'll call the police. They'll catch him, and then you can face him." Piotr said, his voice soft.

"Thank you." Lori said, closing her eyes.

They stayed like that for five minutes until the unmistakeable sound of a gun being cocked made Lori look up.

There were five police officers, all with their guns out and pointing at the students and teachers of the Charles Xavier Institute


End file.
